We all know that our foundation is the base of our homes. It keeps us safe and secure and promotes the structural integrity of your home. We all know the old proverb about not building your house upon sand, right? So what do you do when you find out that your foundation has been damaged or compromised? First things first is to call a reputable professional to help you get an educated opinion on what your next steps are going to be. They can also give you an estimate on repair costs. Just remember, it may be out of sight out of mind but this is one repair that you cannot just let slide for a while.

Perhaps you just found out that you have had a wet crawl space or have had standing water on your foundation. You had it inspected and have been told that your foundation needs to be repaired…. What now? You will need to hire a professional to do repairs. Generally, they will dig holes around or under the home around the foundation, they will have to remove debris, plants and shut off some utilities to have proper access. Concrete, or steel piers will then be installed. They will then lift up the structure slowly, they will then put hydraulic jacks under the foundation to help lift it! After that they will proceed in repairing the foundation. When your have a foundation replaced it is a very similar operation. When they are done with the repair they will refill in the holes that will dug and clean up the construction site. There are other ways of having the foundation repaired so make sure you talk to your contractor to find out exactly what steps they will be taking. It may take quite some time to have your foundation repaired or replaced but it is definitely something that must be done.

Why is it so important to have your foundation in tip top shape you may ask? Well there are some extremely good reasons for this. As mentioned previously, our foundation is the root to our home, it is basically what insures the structural integrity of the home. Some things that can happen to your home when you have a damages or compromised foundation is, that it can damage the structure, it can make your home unlivable and unsellable, it can damage pipes and lines in your home, it can create walking hazards in and around your home by creating cracks and uneven flooring. These are just some of the things that can happen with a neglected foundation.

How do you know when it is time to have a professional come investigate the situation? Luckily, there are warning signs that there may be an issue with your foundation. Some of the interior signs include uneven flooring, doors and windows not aligning properly, or if you have cracks in your sheetrock or flooring. Some of the exterior signs include wall rotation, seeing lots of cracks in bricks, or foundation around the house, or even walls, garage doors, and windows separating. These are some warning signs to look out for.

Unfortunately, there are many reasons as to why a home might need foundation replacement or repair. Some of the more common reasons include; plumbing leaks, being built on clay or improperly compacted soil, if there isn’t a proper drainage system around your home, if you have had a bad earthquake or flood, sometimes tree roots can work their way in, and even if your area gets extreme weather. Because of all of these reasons it is highly advisable to have you foundation inspected regularly.

For more information on your foundation or any other crawl space needs Call your local Crawl Space Guys and they will be happy to answer any of your questions.