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Protect Your Property With a Home Foundation Inspection

Groundworks inspector with homeowners.

Regular inspections of your foundation can improve the safety and stability of your home. You’ll be able to identify any structural problems early, potentially avoid expensive repairs, and maintain a safe living environment for your loved ones.

Below, learn more about the benefits of a home foundation inspection and what to expect during the process.

What Is a Home Foundation Inspection?

Inspector using measuring tape to check settlement.

Before purchasing your home, an appraiser likely inspected its foundation and looked for defects that might have affected your property’s value. Scheduling routine foundation inspections now you’re living in your home can be just as useful. A professional will visit your house and identify any potential issues with your foundation, providing peace of mind.

A home foundation inspection is like a yearly vehicle check, where a service technician inspects the status of your car. It ensures everything is in tip-top condition, protecting you from expensive repairs in the future.

A foundation repair expert should inspect this part of your home at least once a year, especially if you have an older property. However, you may need an immediate inspection if you suspect an existing problem with your foundation.

Foundation inspections can take as little as an hour to complete and might involve the following:

  • Identifying cracks and gaps in your foundation
  • Determining uneven structural loads
  • Looking for signs of foundation damage elsewhere in your home, such as bowing basement walls or sticking doors and windows
  • Inspecting the soil under and around your foundation

Why Are Foundation Inspections Important in Salt Lake City?

Salt Lake City has unique meteorological and geological conditions that make regular foundation inspections essential for any homeowner:

  • Expansive clay soils: Some homes in our city, especially those near the Great Salt Lake, are built on clay soils (including blue clay) that can swell in wet weather and shrink in drier conditions. Over time, this process may stress foundations and cause them to shift, settle, and crack.
  • Freeze-thaw cycles: Salt Lake City experiences regular freeze-thaw cycles, which happen when water in the soil under a foundation freezes, expands, and then contracts because of fluctuating temperatures. This natural phenomenon can cause soil movement, potentially threatening your foundation’s stability.
  • Seismic activity: Even small earthquakes in Utah, a state known for constant seismic activity, can cause the ground under your home to shift, resulting in serious foundation damage.

Benefits of Regular Foundation Inspections

Some of the advantages of having a professional inspect your foundation include:

Hand in between horizontal foundation crack.
Before and after foundation repair.
  • Saving money: Foundations can cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix, so catching any problems early will avoid costly repairs.
  • Protecting your home’s value: A neglected or damaged foundation may lower your home’s worth. Investing in foundation inspections and resolving issues preserves its value.
  • Increase safety: Foundation settlement and shifting can jeopardize your property’s stability and put your loved ones at risk. Early detection of these issues lets you make quick repairs, creating a safer home.

When Do You Need a Foundation Inspection?

To identify possible issues and maintain your foundation’s health, we recommend having a professional inspect this part of your home at least once a year. However, you might need to call in an expert sooner if you experience any of these problems:

All these concerns suggest an immediate problem with your foundation that you’ll want to fix as quickly as possible. Otherwise, your home’s structure could be at risk.

If you notice the warning signs listed above, contact the team here at Groundworks. We can conduct a foundation repair inspection for free and recommend custom-engineered solutions based on your budget and needs.

Contact Groundworks for a Home Foundation Inspection

Groundworks specializes in foundation inspections and annual maintenance plans that identify issues and prevent more expensive repairs down the line. Get in touch with us now to find out more.

Foundation Inspection FAQs

If you notice widening cracks, bowing walls, or if the cracks are accompanied by water intrusion, it’s best to get a professional inspection.

Inspections from people like engineers typically cost a few hundred dollars. This is helpful, and they recommend repairs and oftentimes companies that can install them. However, it’s a good idea to seek assistance straight from a foundation repair professional, like Groundworks, who will conduct a free inspection and provide you with an honest, transparent, and no-obligation repair estimate. 

It’s a good idea to get a foundation inspection every couple of years, especially if you notice damage. If you work with Groundworks to repair your foundation, you can take advantage of annual service and maintenance programs that include evaluations of your home and any repair solutions installed. 

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