The base of your home is known as the foundations. Strong foundations are key to preventing your home from sinking into the ground.
Unfortunately, like all parts of the home, foundations can start to fail over time. When this happens, it’s important to get your foundations fixed before your home starts to sink (or, worse, collapses).
Below are 5 signs that your home’s foundations could be failing, along with tips on how to prevent foundation problems and tips on how to fix your foundations.
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Cracks in the walls
While not all cracks are caused by foundation issues, they can be a sign of trouble. This is particularly the case with stepped cracks following the brickwork or cracks leading from the corners of doorways.
Sticking doors/windows
Moving foundations can cause door frames and window frames to become misaligned, which can lead to doors and windows sticking when you try to open them (or refusing to stay shut).
Uneven floors
If floors have become sloped or bowed, this could be a sign of foundation issues. Cracks in the floor are also a telltale sign.
Gaps between wall and ceiling
Foundation problems can cause walls to shift and separate from ceilings. Gaps around windowframes and doorframes can also be a sign of foundation problems.
Leaky basement
Is water leaking into your basement through cracks in the floor and walls? This can also be a sign that your foundations are failing.
How to prevent foundation problems
Foundation problems are often caused by improper drainage around the home. When the earth around your foundations gets too wet (especially clay soil), a building can start to sink.
Start by making sure that your gutters are working properly. Gutters are designed to direct water runoff from your roof into a downspout and into a drain. If water is spilling over the sides of your gutters or leaking through them, it will start to pool around your foundations and cause problems. Companies such as this one at https://superiorguttercompany.com/ can clean, repair or replace your gutters if necessary.
Flooding can also cause major foundation problems. If you live near a water source that regularly floods, consider investing in some floodproofing measures to prevent water getting into your foundations. This could include walls to prevent flooding or features like french drains to divert water away.
Burst underground pipes can also be a problem to look out for. Unusual damp patches of ground, high water bills or strange smells (if it’s a sewer pipe) are all potential signs of a leak.
How to fix failing foundations
As this guide at https://groundworks.com explains, fixing foundations can be complicated and it depends very much on the cause as to how to tackle it. Measures like carbon fiber reinforcement, wall anchors, foundation beams and crawl support jacks can all be used to strengthen foundations and stop them from sinking further. Cracks and gaps can then be filled and sticking doors may be possible to plane down or reinstall.
This is a contributed post.
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