The average home foundation lifespan for new construction is between 50 and 75 years. All houses may have some foundation issues in the long run. Just like other things, it can be worn and torn over time.
If you catch them when they’re minor, you can fix them. If you don’t, they’ll become worse. It can cost you a lot of money to fix a foundation.
If you’re wondering how to detect and fix foundation problems in your home, this article’s for you. Read on to discover how to stay on top of your property’s foundation issues.
What Causes Foundation Problems
Home foundation problems are caused by a variety of environmental elements, such as:
Soil Composition
The soil can shrink and expand over time and lead to foundation movement. If the soil around your house contains a lot of clay, it is more likely to expand when wet and cause problems to your foundation. Other factors such as soil type, moisture, tree roots, and underground streams can cause soil to become unstable and unable to support a home’s foundation.
Hydrostatic Pressure
This is created when a large amount of water builds up in the soil around the foundation of a home. This can cause the foundation to become weak and eventually lead to cracking and buckling.
Poor Drainage
This can cause water to gather and pool close to the house’s foundation, endangering the foundation’s structural stability. Standing water frequently raises the humidity and moisture levels close to the foundation, eroding the soil and causing severe damage and fissures. An uneven foundation might result in problems with the surrounding walls and finally lead to their collapse, threatening everyone living in the house.
Natural Disasters or Calamities
Foundation problems in your home can be the result of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and intense rainfalls. These events can cause the soil around your foundation to erode, become unstable, and shift, leading to cracks and foundation settlement.
How Much Does It Cost to Fix a Foundation
The cost of repairs will vary depending on the extent of the damage and the necessary remedy, but will likely include fixing any structural issues and waterproofing before reinstalling the foundation and surrounding landscaping. Expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to a few thousand, depending on the severity of the repairs.
How to Detect Foundation Problems
Foundation problems in your home can be tricky to detect. It is important to be aware of certain signs of foundation problems in your home. The disfigurement signs to look are cracked or buckled walls, bowing walls, sloping floors or lifted tiles, water pooling around the foundation, windows and doors that don’t open or close properly, or foundation settling.
To detect foundation problems in your home, you need to carefully visually inspect t he area around and under your home. Look for any visible cracks, large or small, and try to determine if the cracks are static or growing.
To detect more detailed foundation issues, there are specialized tools such as:
Structural Calipers
This is a very useful tool for detecting and fixing foundation issues in your home. With structural calipers, you can place them on top of a beam and measure how much the beam is shifting from its normal position. If the beam is moving significantly or noticeably, it is an indication that there may be foundation issues.
Fiber-optic Inspection System
This device uses special cameras to inspect and allows you to view the inside-out interior of your basis from almost any angle, easily and quickly finding any potential cracks or leaks. You can move the fiberoptics around, scanning the entire foundation and pointing out any potential problems.
Steam Injection Probes
This device measures the temperature of the soil below the foundation of your home. The probe works by sending jets of steam into the ground at different depths.
By comparing the surface and subsurface temperatures, you can determine whether or not your foundation has problems. If the temperatures differ significantly, it is likely due to some type of foundation problem.
Dehumidifiers
This device helps to reduce the amount of moisture in your home. This will help to detect any water infiltration in the walls and floors.
How to Fix a Foundation Problems
Once you’re done inspecting the home and determining the foundation damage, the repair process can begin.
Fixing Minor Foundation Problems
There are several methods available that you can do on your own to fix minor foundation issues. You can use a crack filler, stabilize a wall, patch any broken mortar, or use epoxy to patch the space.
A jack or pneumatic cylinder can be used to push a bowed wall back into place. You can also use tension cables below the floor joists to reinforce the area. After repairing the foundation, give it a few days to cure before taking further action.
Fixing Major Foundation Problems
This can cause significant monetary costs and should be taken seriously. It’s important to contact a professional to address the problem.
Structural engineers and foundation repair specialists are skilled in analyzing and repairing a home’s foundation. They can provide a full assessment and recommendation of repair solutions.
Solutions will depend on the cause of the problem. Repairing cracking in concrete, braces, brackets, and jacks is a common solution.
For excessive moisture in the soil, then drainage solutions or waterproofing may be necessary. With larger foundation issues, it needs to reinforce the existing foundation with steel bars, modify the existing foundation with shoring and underpinning, or completely replace the foundation if the damage is too severe to fix.
It is important to remember that a basic understanding of how to fix foundation problems and professional help. This is to address foundation problems and rectified before they become severe, saving you time, money, and stress.
If you need a professional for your foundation problems, try to check out Michigan foundation repair. They are experts that provide high-quality services that you can trust.
Protect the Foundation of Your Home
Foundation problems can be daunting, but with a raised level of awareness, proactive assessments, and quick action, they can be managed. Being sure to consult with trained, experienced professionals when necessary can help ensure any issues are detected and resolved as quickly as possible. Take the steps to detect and fix any issues now, to protect your home from severe damage.
To learn more about our foundation repair tips and guide, check out our daily blogs.
