Damage
to a house’s foundation can be very difficult to fix, and can be a sign
of significant structural damage. Because of this, it is crucial to
detect foundation problems early and solve them quickly. Here are some
tips on monitoring your home for foundation damage.
Walk through your house and look for clues that could indicate
movement in your foundation. Are your door and window frames no longer
at right angles, making them difficult to open and close? Are your
floors sloping? Do you see nails working their way out of your sheetrock
walls, or are there new wall cracks appearing? Do you have a leaking
roof, even though your roofing material is new?
In cement block foundations, watch for signs of damage to the
exterior walls’ bond courses, which are solid mortar-filled cavities
containing rebar. They help to support the wall, so if you see signs of
damage to them, get a professional to assess the situation immediately.
Stone foundations are different, in the sense that damage does not
typically occur to the stones themselves, but rather the wall can become
cracked or bulge inward from outside pressure. Damage can also result
when stones are removed from the wall to create openings for windows,
doors, or pipes.
Inspect the foundations of other structures on your property, such as
a detached garage. In stand-alone garages, the horizontal cement slab
will often settle from the combination of its own weight, along with
that of the vehicles on top of it. This places downward pressure on the
dirt below the slab, which then pushes outward on the garage foundation
walls. Look for horizontal cracks in the foundation walls as a sign of
damage caused by settling.
If you find any signs of damage to your foundation, have an expert
diagnose its extent and repair it as quickly as possible. In addition to
addressing potential structural problems, be sure to repair any cracks
that might allow water into your house.
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