Foundation Repair

When homes are first constructed, it’s generally recommended that downspouts drain water about 10 ft. away from the foundation. The further away that water flows, the safer your home is from damage. This can be achieved by installing downspout extensions, drainage systems, or ensuring that your yard’s grade slope is negative. This simply means that whenever it rains or the snow begins to melt, any water will flow away from your home and not toward it.  

Lack of proper foundation drainage can put your home at risk of suffering from water damage. The water around your basement or even in your basement can compromise your foundation and the safety of your home on various levels. Not investing in a high-quality drainage system may seem like the most affordable option, but in the long run, it is the most expensive one.  

Unstable Foundation  

The volume of damage water can cause should never be underestimated. While standing water around your foundation or overly saturated soil may seem harmless, it can cause your foundation to move and shift. When this happens, cracks can appear, causing a whole array of other problems. By keeping your foundation properly drained, you won’t just keep it dry, but stable and safe as well.  

If you do not have proper drainage, heavy rains can easily soak the soil beneath your home, making it less stable. As a result, your foundation can begin to settle. Foundation settlement is a serious problem that should not be ignored. It can make your home collapse if left unsupervised. On the other hand, water accumulating beneath your home can push against your foundation floor or walls, making them crack or bow.  

Mold and Rot Growth  

Keeping water away from your home can also prevent mold growth. Mold mostly thrives in dark and damp places, so your humid basement will be an ideal place for it to spread. Since mold releases airborne spores, it also presents a health hazard. If you inhale them, you could end up with serious respiratory issues. On the other hand, wood rot also prefers humid environments. Since rot can damage your wooden supports and drastically weaken them, it can easily compromise your home’s structural integrity.  

Ensuring that your foundation stays dry is the best way to keep mold and rot away from your home. By doing so, you will make your home a safer and healthier place for your family. Furthermore, you will also increase your home’s market value. Nothing can lower the price of the house as quickly as foundation issues, so make sure you invest in a proper drainage system.

To detect foundation problems on time you need to inspect your foundation regularly. If you notice something suspicious, keeping an eye on the problem will help you prevent it from getting out of hand.  

Annual Inspections  

If you have just moved into a new home, you probably do not anticipate foundation problems to occur right away. However, it is recommended to conduct a routine check once a year to see whether everything is in order. This way you can notice a problem as soon as it shows up and nips it in the bud.  

This may seem redundant, but keep in mind that there are so many things that could damage your foundation. In addition, foundation problems can quickly escalate, so by skipping just one inspection you are giving them enough time to spiral out of control. The sooner you catch a problem, the easier it will be to fix it, not to mention cheaper.  

Monthly Checkups  

If during one of the inspections you notice that your foundation is experiencing some issues, you will need to increase the frequency of assessments to once a month. For example, cracks in your foundation can just be cosmetical, but they can also be a sign of foundation settlement. Keeping an eye on them and contacting a professional as soon as you notice any changes can save you a lot of trouble.  

Of course, it is always best to schedule routine inspections with a professional. Their trained eye will surely notice possible problems sooner so they won’t have time to escalate. Unless you have training in foundation repair, it is better to step aside and leave things to experts.

When many homeowners notice issues around their homes, they will often attempt to fix them by themselves. Unfortunately, not many homeowners will even know where their foundation is, much less how to go about repairing it. Therefore, it is best to leave any repairs you might need to the foundation experts at Foundation Systems of Michigan instead. 

Why DIY Repairs Are Not Recommended 

The foundation is a structure that requires an immense amount of precision and expertise to fix. Additionally, any DIY repairs sold by your local home improvement stores are often not powerful enough to fully repair the foundation. At best, they act as temporary relief while you schedule an appointment with the foundation experts at Foundation Systems of Michigan. 

Even if you are able to find a relatively cheap repair solution elsewhere, applying the wrong solution or making a mistake might result in even more costly damage to the foundation. It is best to invest in powerful solutions you know will be able to permanently protect your foundation now and in the future. Calling the foundation experts at Foundation Systems of Michigan is therefore your best bet. 

Calling the Foundation Experts for Help 

The foundation experts at Foundation Systems of Michigan are trained to handle all sorts of foundation repairs. We will also have the right tools and equipment necessary for installing any tough repair solutions that your foundation or surrounding concrete might need. 

The slab pier system also requires an incredible amount of precision to install as well. If you make a mistake installing a similar system on your own, this can result in massive damage to your home as a whole. You cannot afford the costly mistakes that this could cause, which is why hiring the foundation experts at Foundation Systems of Michigan is your best bet. 

Foundation damage can be a bigger hazard than you might think. Your basement will not be the only room adversely affected. There are plenty of other structures around your home that will be impacted by this damage as well. 

Sagging Floors 

If your foundation has shifted or cracked, chances are your floor’s support beams have too. You might notice your floor has started to sag or bounce in places. This can create a dangerous tripping hazard for everyone in your home. Some homeowners might choose to simply ignore it, which can prove to be extremely dangerous should the damage spread out to other parts of your home. 

Shifted or over spanned floor support beams can also be caused by a construction mistake as well. The support beams are laid at specific lengths away from one another to better distribute the weight of you, your family, and your belongings over them. Sometimes a contractor will leave these beams to go over the span they are supposed to cover if it’s all up to code. This leaves you with issues in the future that you will need to call a foundation expert to fix. The damage from these support beams can obviously spread out to either the concrete around your home or foundation. 

Stuck Doorways and Windowsills and Leaning Walls 

You might also notice your doors and windows have suddenly become much harder to open. Though many homeowners might attribute this sticking to age, it can also be the result of a shifted or cracked foundation too. Without the stability of your foundation’s support, your doorways and windowsills may start to lean or tilt, which can trap the doors and windows in their frames and make them harder to open. 

Similarly, you might also notice that your walls have begun to lean or sway a bit as well. When your walls start to sway, your entire home is sure to collapse soon. Therefore it is so important to fix foundation damage as soon as you can. It can be extremely costly to fix an entire collapsed house, especially if that damage has spread to your neighbors’ homes as well. 

The ground is going to get wet no matter what when it rains. But gutters can help by keeping copious amounts of water away from the soil directly around your foundation. Properly functioning, quality gutters collect rainwater and channel it through downspouts. The downspouts and extensions move this water away from the foundation to help keep your home dry.