A stable foundation provides adequate support to your home’s entire structure by evenly distributing weight across the soil beneath it. Identifying foundation issues early and intervening immediately helps prevent further problems like plumbing and electrical disruptions. Here are a few signs it’s time to hire foundation repair services:
Foundation Leaks and Water Intrusion
Poor drainage systems, such as clogged downspouts and gutters, can cause foundation leaks and water intrusion. They cause the leaks by directing excessive water toward your home rather than away from it. Improper perimeter grading also heightens this foundation issue, as it causes water to pool around the home, saturate soil, and exert hydrostatic pressure. Visible water or dampness on basement walls, and musty odors indicate possible foundation leaks and water intrusion.
A foundation repair contractor deploys targeted waterproofing strategies that combine interior and exterior methods to help achieve lasting results. They may seal cracks in foundation walls or slabs using polyurethane or epoxy injections, or apply exterior waterproofing membranes. Professional installation of sump pumps and interior drainage systems, such as perimeter French drains, also helps address foundation leaks and water intrusion. These systems discharge water away from the house, keeping the basement dry even during heavy rain.
Sticking Doors and Windows
Foundation issues like differential settlement compromise a home’s structural integrity, prompting uneven basement shifts that lead to sticking doors and windows. Sagging floors tend to tilt over time, and that movement can alter the normal alignment of doors and windows within the house. When clay soils swell with moisture, they cause foundation heaving that lifts parts of the slab. This forces interior walls to buckle slightly and makes doors and windows stick.
Watch out for movable sashes that stick at midway points when you open or close the windows. You may also notice fissures starting at door or window corners, widening upward. Other signs of sticking doors and windows include visible gaps between the jambs and walls, along with uneven or sloping floors near the frames.
A skilled contractor can install steel helical piers deep into load-bearing soil beneath a foundation. This method helps stabilize and, if necessary, lift the foundation when issues like differential settlement are detected. If your home has a crawl space, the contractor may replace or reinforce the main beams and supports to restore the floor’s strength. This solution enhances the level of floor surfaces and minimizes frame twisting, resulting in smoother door and window operation.
Interior Wall Cracks
Hydrostatic pressure, differential settlement, and foundation heaving also increase the risk of cracks in interior walls. The cracks widen over time, and addressing them promptly helps prevent moisture entry or even water intrusion. Hire a professional foundation repair service provider if you notice multiple cracks appearing suddenly or repeated cracking after repairs. A contractor can inject epoxy or polyurethane directly into the fissures. Epoxy immediately bonds to the concrete, while polyurethane provides waterproof sealing. When correctly installed, wall anchors and helical or push piers help prevent foundation problems, protecting interior walls from potential damage.
Bowing Basement Walls
Bowing basement walls arise when foundation problems create constant sideways pressure that pushes them inward. You will notice that the walls bulge inward rather than being straight. Horizontal cracks, sticking doors and windows, as well as sloping or uneven basement floors, signal potential bowing. A contractor can apply high-strength carbon fiber straps over cracks to stabilize basement walls against bowing inward. They also install wall anchors and steel support beams to provide gradual, long-term stabilization.
Contact a Foundation Repair Expert
Skilled contractors comprehensively assess foundations, pinpoint particular problems, and tailor their service plan to protect your home. Hiring the right professionals early also helps enhance your property’s structural integrity and safety. Contact a reputable basement waterproofing company to get help with repairs to your home’s foundation.
