Inspect Your Homes Foundation!

It is easy  to pay more attention to what the inside of your house looks like but when was the last time you did an external home inspection? Did you know that your home deals with weekly, monthly and daily soil movement? Sure, it may happen very slowly overtime but imagine someone constantly adding weight on one shoulder. After sometime, your going to start tilting to one side to counterbalance the weight. Your home may be doing the same thing and you may not even know it. Rainey weeks and changes in temperature cause soil to shift and settle

House slid off of foundation

A crawl space and foundation repair specialist can come out and help assess the severity of damage to your property. If you have visually inspected the exterior of your home, it would also be best to have a professional review the problem area before you make any repairs or changes to the problem area.

A house is one of the largest investments most individuals will make. Don't neglect something that is as important as the very thing that keeps your family safe and sound.

Report Foundation Damage Before It's Too Late

Cracks in your foundation can cause water seepage which can lead to moisture and mold within your foundation & crawlspace. This can lead to both structural and health issues. Foundation damage is most generally caused by the soil that surrounds your foundation. Most foundation failures are due to inadequate drainage, soil conditions (If the soil around your foundation is loose and retains water), sink holes, moisture, poor design or habitual neglect which over time, will weaken the foundation.

Small crack in foundation

Once the crack grew, the whole foundation needed to be replaced

If you notice any early signs of foundation issues, may it be as serious as a crack, or as basic as noticing water pooling around your foundation, it is best to contact a professional foundation repair company. If you catch the potential problem early enough, you can go from quite possibly fixing the problem on your own instead of having to pay thousands to have your foundation repaired or rebuilt.

Also, if you notice anything different about your crawl space (moisture barriers, ventilation system or structural changes) you should contact a crawl space repair company to have a professional come out to take a look at it. Just like your foundation, the crawl space is very important to keep an eye on. Wait too long, and your risking your own safety and what may cost you thousands to repair if left alone for too long.

Foundation Failure

Foundation Failure

Foundation failure can be caused by many different factors. Below, we will explain what some of the warming signs to be wary of and the main caused that cause your foundation to fail.

Exterior Warning Signs

• Wall Rotation
• Separation around garage door, windows and walls
• Cracked bricks or fine cracks in foundation
• Broken, chipped or cracked foundation
• Softness of soil surrounding foundation

Fortunately, most towns and cities now have strict building codes and ordinances that require soil testing and engineer certification before and during the building process, so that the original build is not the root cause of foundation failure. Before building codes were required fill material may not be compacted enough to support the weight of the structure above it, which in return, would be a cause of future foundation problems. The problem can be from the mix of odd fill materials, and from poorly compacted fill, or both. 

Six Main Causes Of Foundation Failure

1. Soil type – especially expansive clay soil
2. Poorly compacted fill material
3. Slope failure, mass wasting
4. Erosion
5. Poor original construction
6. Transpiration

If you start to see examples of foundation failure, it would be best to have it checked by a foundation repair specialist before the foundation gets worse. If early stage foundation failure can be spotted and addressed quick enough, it will not only keep your home safe, but can also be less expensive to fix.

source: http://www.brackettfoundation.com/blog/six-causes-of-foundation-failure