What are the signs of a bad foundation? An obvious sign of a bad foundation is large cracks in the foundation itself. Small ones less than a ¼ of an inch thick are probably not anything to worry about. Doors and windows are stuck, jammed, or don’t close and latch properly. This may be due to the house shifting on top of a bad foundation. Watch for cracks in the walls and floor. Pay particular attention to over windows or doorways and where the walls meet the ceiling.
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.
Concrete blocks generally form a full basement at full floor height. Over time, these types of foundations can move inward if the mortar breaks down or when earth pushes heavily on the block. The repair can involve vertical beams that hold up the house while blocks are removed, re-pointed, and soil is re-stabilized. The vertical beams used could be hydraulic posts placed beneath the house (to stabilize it). A total removal of the foundation wall section that’s impacted can’t happen without proper support of the structure. Once the blocks are removed, the soil may need to be shifted in the area of the repair before the blocks are re-stacked and mortared into place. Depending on the ground conditions outside, the exterior of the new foundation wall might need waterproofing. Costs can be extreme when the services add up this way so first, try to determine if a pressure injection could fill a foundation crack. Read more info on Foundation contractor Colorado.