Research conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs found that one in five homeowners will put off making repairs around the home, in part because nearly 40% of those surveyed said that it was difficult to find a reliable repair service.
However, if there are cracks in the foundation of your home, postponing home foundation repairs can be a big mistake. Those cracks could be a sign of serious structural damage; having experts diagnose the problems and make repairs right away is imperative. Prompt fixes can help you avoid more serious problems in the future.
Check Cracks in Foundation for Damage
Generally, cracks in the foundation are the most significant indicator of damage, and you can determine what they mean on your own before investing in foundation crack repairs. Renee Miller of SFGate.com notes that if vertical cracks “are wider at the top, it means that one end or both ends of the foundation have dropped, or the middle of the foundation is heaving or rising. If the cracks are wider at the bottom, it means one or both ends are rising, or that the middle is sinking. Cracks that appear horizontally in the joints of a concrete block foundation are a sign that the pressure of the soil has bent the wall and the foundation is failing.” Knowing what specific cracks indicate is important for getting the proper repairs.
There are multiple techniques that professionals can use to make effective home foundation repairs. For simple cracks, like those caused by shrinkage, at the base of walls, simple sealants and masonry patches can be used. Even if the damage is not structural, they can help prevent water from seeping in. Slabjacking is a highly specialized technique that is used to fill empty spaces below the foundation and piering, or piling as it can be known, is essentially the process of drilling steel pipes into the ground and mounting them to the foundation for extra support that prevents the foundation from sinking. The right process will make sure the foundation gets the improvements it needs.
Home Protection is the Key Against Water Damage
Skilled home foundation repair contractors will not only be able to decide on and execute the proper repair, but they will also be able to offer exterior basement waterproofing and other services that help prevent damage in the first place. Since 64% of Americans don’t have $1,000 in savings for emergency repairs, according to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, stopping damage before it happens is a good idea. Hopefully, those services will prevent the structural integrity of your home’s foundation from declining.
