Signs You May Encounter When Your Home Has Foundation Damage

Although you hope it never happens, the foundation of your house could become damaged and may need to be repaired. The thought of foundation damage is frightening since you may wonder how the structure of your home is affected. When you see signs of possible foundation damage, call a contractor to see if repairs need to be done to keep your home safe. Here are some of the signs to watch for.

Cracks And Chips On The Outside

Cracks in the concrete foundation don't always mean your home is in serious trouble, but they might be a bad sign. When you mow the lawn or do work in your yard, take a look at the foundation near the bottom of your house and check for cracks or areas of concrete that are chipped out.

When you call a foundation repair professional for help, they may start by trying to figure out what caused the cracks to develop so the cause can be fixed along with repairing the concrete. Cracks can often be filled in, especially if they are only cosmetic and aren't signs of structural damage.

Cracks And Bowing Of Inside Walls

Cracks can form on the inside of your basement walls too. This might be due to the settling or shifting of the foundation due to problems with the soil. A foundation repair professional can often tell by looking at the direction and size of the cracks if your house has foundation issues or if normal settling has occurred.

Bowing walls are another story. This is a serious problem that should be repaired. When the water in the soil on the outside of your house exerts enough pressure on the walls, the walls can start to bow. A contractor might fix this problem by installing braces against the wall to stop movement. This problem might also require putting in an exterior drain or wall membrane to keep water away from your house.

Cracks In The Floor And A Sinking Slab

Cracks in the basement floor can be filled in as long as the sides of the crack are even. If part of the foundation has sunk, the sunken part may need to be lifted by pumping foam or slurry under the slab. You might not notice right away when your foundation develops cracks, but if your basement suddenly gets wet when it rains, that could be an indication there is a crack somewhere you need to track down.

A sinking slab might be repaired by lifting it and filling in the void in the soil, but the foundation repair contractor might need to put piers under the foundation in some instances. The contractor has to determine the extent of damage, the cause of the problem, and how to stop the escalation of damage when choosing the right foundation repair method for your home.