Potential Causes of Foundation Problems

There are several signs that your home has a crumbling foundation. You may notice ceiling cracks, bowing walls or sloping floors. The clearest signs are found in the appearance of the foundation itself. If your foundation is crumbling, flaking or chipping, you need to call foundation repair and replacement specialists right away. Here are some common reasons that foundations fail.

Improper Drainage
The gutter system on your roof helps ensure that rain doesn’t pool on top of your house, but it’s equally important to keep it from collecting at the base of your house. Standing water around your home can wear down even the strongest foundation over time. Make sure downspouts are pointed away from your home and that your landscaping slopes in the opposite direction to direct water where it’s supposed to go.

Excessive Erosion
If soil is not packed down before the foundation is poured, the ground may shift under your home once it’s built. Even if the ground is properly prepared, groundwater and erosion can make the land unstable, causing the house to shift. This can lead to a crumbling foundation.

Poor Craftsmanship
Sometimes the team in charge of pouring the original foundation cuts corners. They may not mix the cement properly, and this can cause lots of problems down the road. If they used too much water or allowed dirt to get into the concrete mixture, this small detail could make your foundation more susceptible to rot. When foundation replacement professionals inspect your house, they may find that a large portion of your foundation has been weakened because of bad craftsmanship during the building process.

A crumbling foundation is not a problem you want to ignore. What starts as a small crack or some minor flaking may develop into a larger issue that compromises the structural integrity of your house. You can avoid more serious issues by calling foundation repair experts as soon as you see signs of a problem.