Buying your own home is exciting. It offers you independence, privacy, and it marks the steps toward developing your own life. You quickly label yourself a homeowner. Yes, it’s exciting, but there are many responsbilities that come with owning a house. These responsibilities can range from mortgages, to home improvement (fixing bathrooms, rearranging and purchasing new furniture, etc), to foundation repair. Foundation repair is actually one of the most important responsibilities for many homeowners. If you believe your foundation needs repair, or you’re having foundation problems, here’s what you need to know.
When You Need Commercial Foundation Repair
First, any home or building needs a foundation. Home foundations provide a platform for buildings so that walls and floors do not separate over time. The foundation is created in the least active part of the ground. There are three main foundations residential construction workers use. Basements, crawl spaces, and slabs are the three main types of foundation. However, slab foundation is the easiest to build and use, because it’s a concrete pad poured directly into the ground. Many homes built less than 50 years ago have a slab foundation. When you have a good foundation, your home can stand tall and strong!
There are times (especially with older homes) that the foundation needs to be repaired. More specifically, concrete slabs and pier and beam foundations can develop severe issues the require foundation repair. There are various causes and reasons why residential foundation repair is necessary and imperative. First, foundation deterioration can be caused by a variety of things such as soil, climate, plumbing leaks (flooding damage), poor soil compaction and inadequate foundation drainage. Therefore, it’s important that you keep an eye on your house. You must look for certain things to see if and when you need commercial foundation repair.
Foundation Cracks, Wall And Floor Cracks, And Fractures: Check the foundation of your home or the brick exterior (if you have this). If you notice gaps in the foundation and the brick, you could possibly have a foundation problem. Cracks on the floors, wall fissures, and a broken chimney (if you have one), can also indicate signs of a foundation problem.
Foundation Settling Or Sinking: If your home seems like it may be sinking or it’s having settlement issues, this could be a sign of foundation problems. As time goes by, you may notice that one side of your house is lower than the other side. Additionally, it may look like the center of your home is sinking. If this occurs, have it checked out.
Foundation Upheaval: Foundation upheaval is when your slab foundation has moved in an upward direction. It is the opposite of foundation settling, and can affect the perimeter area of a concrete slab foundation. It can also affect the inside of your home, such as hallways, doorways and other areas. Additionally, there are a handful of things that can cause foundation upheaval: soil that expands and contracts, excessive moisture due to rain or under-slab plumbing leaks and frost heave. However, moisture is the number one cause of foundation upheaval. If your home is experiencing this, you’ll need commercial foundation repair.
Doors That Stick And Don’t Open/Close Properly: If you notice that your doors and sticking, that’s an indication that you may have a foundation problem. The doors in the interior of your home are commonly affected by foundation problems. They show they’re affected by sticking or dragging at the top. Additionally, your doors won’t open or close properly if you have a foundation problem.
Repairing Foundation
Before getting your foundation repaired, you can get a repair expert to inspect it. Once it’s confirmed that you have a foundation problem, you’ll need commercial foundation repair. The two most common methods used in commercial foundation repair are slabjacking and piering. In slabjacking, grout is pumped underneath a slab to cause a lifting force that restores the home to its original elevation. Piering is when steel posts are driven through soil and jacks are used to raise and stabilize concrete slabs affected by changes in the underlying soil. It’s important to note that for each method, it depends on the type of distress being treated.