Correcting Foundation Problems - 3 Reasons To Make Repairs Sooner Rather Than Later

Many foundation problems are overlooked because they don't have an impact on a family's day-to-day life

. You don't spend much time in your unfinished basement or crawl space, so who cares if these spaces have flaws? It's understandable that many homeowners prefer to spend their home repair and home remodeling budgets on visible improvements like new roofing, driveway sealing, landscaping, and new garage doors. The trouble with this approach is that it can get you into trouble down the road. Here are 3 reasons why foundation problems should be addressed sooner rather than later:

1. Most foundation problems get progressively worse. Once pressure from the soil has caused a small crack or two to appear in a foundation wall, it's a good bet that cracks will increase in size and number. A structural crack (as opposed to a hairline shrinkage crack) is a foundation failure; it means that foundation's strength is not great enough to resist soil pressure. Each structural crack further weakens the foundation. The longer you wait to address a structural problem, the more extensive and expensive the repair work will be.

2. One problem often leads to others. Cracks in a foundation or floor slab obviously make it easy for water and pests to enter the space beneath a house. This in turn can cause mold to grow, which can put some people at risk of developing respiratory problems. Mold also eventually leads to wood rot. A cracked foundation admits radon gas, posing a potentially lethal health hazard to building inhabitants. A foundation that settles or shifts will likely impact wood-framed floors and walls close to the cracked or settled section. Telltale signs of this ripple effect are cracks in wallboard at the top corners of windows and doors, bowed or uneven floor sections, and difficulty in operating windows and doors.

3. Foundation repairs significantly impact real estate value. If you're planning to put your house on the market, it's not financially wise to pass foundation problems on to a new owner. For one thing, most banks will not grant a mortgage without some assurance that foundation problems will be corrected. Even for a cash buyer, the negative visual impact of cracked walls, settled floors, or a wet, moldy crawl space is certain to diminish a home's marketability. Conversely, by repairing cracks and foundation settlement and perhaps waterproofing the foundation, an unusable basement is transformed into valuable extra space. Crawl space encapsulation -another foundation repair-turns a dirty, dark, damp space into a clean, bright area that improves a home's energy performance, longevity and healthfulness.

by: John Smith

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