The Importance of Foundation Maintenance

Rarely seen, the importance of the foundation of your home is immense. The concrete foundation under the average home serves an essential purpose. The foundation prevents a home from sinking into the ground and, therefore, shifting or even collapsing. This means that a crack in your foundation, no matter how small, constitutes a major threat. Here’s what you need to know.

The Warning Signs

While many homes don’t have a visible foundation, those that have basements with concrete floors are often looking at the foundation every time they go downstairs. In these cases, a homeowner can spot a crack in the foundation easily and can act accordingly. On the other hand, there are a few key warning signs to keep your eye out for. First and foremost, if you notice your door and window frames begin to shift into a more crooked position, this is a sign that the house has begun to shift. Then, the frames of your windows and walls, as well as other intersecting pieces of lumber, may begin to splinter under the pressure. Lastly, your windows may crack in severe cases. Any of these signs is ground for immediate house foundation repair, and the sooner you spot and solve the problem, the better off you are.

The Solution

Fixing a crack in the foundation is potentially a simple affair if you catch it early enough. A smaller crack is easily filled, and a foundation that has not yet given way often doesn’t need additional help. However, repairing a more severely damaged foundation may require replacing it entirely. Because the foundation is what keeps the house standing, replacing it essentially means lifting your home up off the foundation slightly while professionals remove the faulty foundation and replace it, often piece by piece. Fixing a small crack is not only easier, it’s also far cheaper, so it’s crucial to be aware of the problem as early as possible which, again, is easier in some homes than in others.