For example, if your foundation is not solid, your home could settle and you will have to deal with situations such as cracked walls, uneven floors, doors that don't close, and many other problems. A cracked or crumbling foundation makes a house extremely vulnerable to moisture penetration. If you have a basement, check the walls for cracks and crevices. A changing base exerts excessive strain on the walls of the basement.
While water can sometimes leak into the basement of a home with a solid foundation, seepage is almost guaranteed when basement walls have been compromised. The likelihood of significant water damage to your home increases the longer foundation problems are not addressed. Not only that, mold and mildew, which thrive in humid underground conditions, can take hold and cause several long-term health problems, such as coughing, nasal congestion, throat and eye irritation, asthma, and other respiratory problems. When a base is compromised, a domino effect begins, emphasizing the structure for which it was designed.
Foundation issues affect walls, floors, ceilings, doors, window frames, attached garages and more. When an element is unstable, it will cause extensive structural damage. An incorrectly poured foundation can cause problems in the slab. If the construction company does not properly compact the soil under the foundation, it will immediately settle, causing foundation problems and structural problems.
If the base is poorly designed or the concrete is not mixed properly, it can crack or suffer other problems that can lead to poor structural integrity. If this seems to be a problem in your home, see our team immediately. At Bay Area Underpinning, we offer both foundation repair and replacement. If all the soil under a foundation swells evenly, there is usually no problem.
However, problems occur when only part of the house settles. Differential movement then causes cracks or other damage. Above-ground water pipes running through walls and floors can also be damaged when foundations move, as downward movement can cause structural displacement throughout the home. Most foundation companies offer a lifetime warranty for their repairs that is transferable to new owners.
If you're trying to cut costs, you might expect to worry about this another day, but basic problems are something you should never ignore. The contractor should also strive to build the house as close as possible to a fully level base. And while your home may not deteriorate before your eyes, you could experience an enormous burden, both financial and otherwise, with fundamental problems. Assuming the foundation is still solid, those small cracks can be repaired by a professional, who will also likely recommend that you level the soil around the base to divert water from the house.
The important thing to remember is that there are other houses out there, with good solid foundations, that you will find just as dreamy. While sand doesn't expand or contract like clay soils, it can be washed away, creating voids under the foundation. You can detect drainage problems by ensuring that the ground closest to the foundation is level, that gutters and downspouts are clear and in good condition, and looking for any obvious water damage. However, you should understand that a problem with the foundation will likely cause at least a delay with closing and could jeopardize your mortgage application, because lenders worry about homes with foundation problems.
Misaligned doors and windows, cracks in walls and uneven floors are some of the first signs of a degraded base. If you decide to buy a property with an unrepaired foundation and decide to fix it yourself, the advantage is that you will be able to make sure that the repairs are handled correctly. The most efficient way to protect your base is to have a professional evaluate it at the first sign of problems. If a home inspection or your own observation reveals cracks in the walls, ceilings, or exterior of the home, you should consider hiring a structural engineer to conduct a closer inspection of the foundation.
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