It’s not always easy to take care of your foundation. Whether you’re a new homeowner or in it for the long haul, your foundation can always throw a new series of problems your way. Luckily, you don’t have to try and prepare for those surprises on your own. Professionals can instead let you know what kind of damage your home may fall victim to and how you can respond to it—or even prevent it.
With that in mind, what common foundation problems might you encounter through the years, and how can area professionals help you limit the damage?
First-Year Homeowners: What Foundation Problems to Watch For
Whether you’re a first-time homeowner or just moving into a new property, you’re going to have a lot on your plate. While it’s easy to get overwhelmed, don’t worry! You can delegate some of your home-owning responsibilities to the professionals in your area. For example, you’re under no obligation to try and sort out what’s wrong with your foundation on your own. Instead, you can reach out to contractors serving your area and schedule an inspection.
Area contractors can help you identify some of the most common foundation problems you may run into while providing you with the means to get around them. These problems can include but are not limited to:
- Moisture
- Sticking doors and windows
- Unpleasant smells
When it comes to limiting the foundation damage you have to see in your first year as a homeowner, you have a few paths available to you. If, for example, you purchase a new home knowing it’s endured a bit of strife in the past, you can invest in repairs even before setting foot on the property. Alternatively, if your new home is watertight but you want to take some precautions, you can ask about the waterproofing measures that may best help keep water away from your foundation.
Five-Year Homeowners: What Foundation Problems to Watch For
As you settled into life as a homeowner, it can be easy to overlook some of the symptoms of foundation damage that you’ve gotten used to. Unfortunately, the longer you let these problems sit, the more likely it is that they’re going to worsen over time. Some of the most common problems to encounter around year five of your tenure as a homeowner include:
- Wall and floor cracks
- Bowing walls
Ten-Year Homeowners: What Foundation Problems to Watch For
Ten years into owning a home, you probably think you know everything there is to know about your property’s quirks. There are some common foundation problems, however, that are slow growers. These problems can creep up on you over time, either worsening if you fail to address smaller concerns or seeming to appear out of nowhere.
These problems can include but are not limited to:
- Sinking concrete
- Settling
- Severe flooding
If you find yourself contending with problems as severe as settling or concrete crawl, don’t try to fix the conditions on your own. This kind of damage often requires some degree of material removal and replacement, and you’ll want professionals on your side to get that kind of work done. Afterward, you can explore the waterproofing options that might help you prevent this kind of damage from reappearing around your property.
Why Is Your Foundation Damaged?
There are a few different forces that can work against the structural integrity of your foundation. Tree roots, unstable soil, and insects, for example, can cause hollows to appear beneath your property, destabilizing your foundation and leaving you with uneven floors.
More often than not, however, you can trace the most common foundation problems homeowners encounter to hydrostatic pressure. This pressure builds up outside of your home when it rains or when groundwater settles around your property. The water can force your foundation materials to change temperature and size on a molecular level. That kind of stress can cause your foundation to develop cracks or take on other kinds of damage.
Getting ahead of hydrostatic pressure doesn’t have to be a challenge. You can work with the professionals in your area to waterproof your home before the worst of the common foundation problems start to settle in.
Repairing Common Foundation Problems
Want to schedule a foundation inspection? There’s no time like the present. Professional contractors can guide you on a tour of your home, pointing out the symptoms of foundation damage that you’ll want to take care of. Get in touch with a foundation repair expert in your area today for a free services quote and more information regarding the foundation repair measures available to you.