If you choose to live in your home without immediately dealing with foundation issues, you may end up having to deal with what we’ll call “referred” symptoms. Much like with health-related issues, referred symptoms are problems that don’t actually have to do with the core problem – the foundation – but result from it. Common referred symptoms from foundation problems include sagging floors, roof issues, cracks in walls and ceilings, compromised insulation, broken or cracked windows, and just about anything else.
We figured out a long time ago that if we put too much information on the website or sent out books about the work that we do, people would begin to try to self-diagnose their basement problems. Quite often the customer was trying to design solutions that were much too large for the problems that they were experiencing and had scared themselves of the cost before we even showed up to the appointment. So rather than provide a WebMD of foundation repair, we decided to simply tell you how we operate as a business and hope to engage you in a real conversation about the exact problems you’re experiencing. Once you know all of the information we expect you will make a great decision as to how to repair your home.
At first, a minuscule crack in the wall or the slight buckling of the foundation might not seem like an immediate problem for your home. Minor issues are often overlooked and neglected—until the problem becomes much larger and compromises the overall stability of your home. The best defense against escalating expenses is to scan for potential signs of foundation damage and address these issues as soon as they appear. Many of these signs often manifest in other parts of the home, usually several levels above the underlying foundation.
The tell-tale sign that drought could impact your home’s foundation is in the ground just around the exterior. If you see cracks in the dirt then the moisture from the soil has evaporated. Depending on how deep the dryness goes it can increase the severity of potentially necessary repairs. A homeowner can water their foundation but it may not solve the problem in its entirety. Is DIY even an option for repairing a cracked foundation? As materials, tools and instructions become more readily available online more people feel confidence in learning how to repair things like a foundation. The foundation around your house can be repaired or maintained by you with minimal tools in some circumstances. Doing some low cost repairs can help to fix leaks, cracks or areas of crumbling concrete or mortar. Those who are ready to tackle simple methods to repair their foundation can start with things that they can see with the naked eye. There are many repairs a handywoman can do for just a couple hundred dollars and a small investment of time. Small cracks from settling can be injected with a grout product that provides increased stability. A stone foundation could be painted with a waterproofing paint. I did this on the inside of the foundation wall in my basement, for example. More on that in a bit. See extra info on Foundation contractor Colorado.