When it comes to home maintenance, it’s easy to procrastinate. The potential expense and hassle that accompany needed repairs is enough to deter any homeowner. Plus, there’s always something more fun or interesting to fill your spare time than home repairs.
But when it is time to assess and repair your home’s foundation, delay may be your worst enemy. When there is existing foundation damage, problems will only grow more serious over time. Therefore, waiting will result in increased damage to the foundation, as well as both the interior and exterior of the home.
Many older homes show signs of foundation problems that gradually arise over time. As the foundation shifts, portions of it move upward or downward. This puts stress on the rest of the structure, including walls, floors, roof and more.
As the foundation shifts, cracks in walls or in mortar between bricks may slowly appear. Doors may begin to stick. Windows may become more difficult to open. It’s easy to ignore these problems or write them off as cosmetic damage that you will get around to repairing later. But, in fact, these are not just cosmetic problems.
When cracks and unevenness are becoming apparent, foundation damage is probably already severe. If the problem is not addressed quickly, the foundation could completely fail, causing even more extensive and costly damage.
In fact, a failed foundation can create tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of dollars in damage. If allowed to continue unabated, a faltering foundation can create cracks in mortar that allow bricks to fall from the exterior of the home. It can put pressure on windows, cracking the glass, breaking seals and ruining casements.
In some cases, the upward or downward shift of the foundation can crack floor joists and ruin walls. It can even cause roof damage, when movement creates space around flashing or between shingles. This can lead to water damage throughout the attic and even down through the entire house. Particularly expensive and difficult to repair are damages to the home’s plumbing system when the foundation shifts, breaking pipes and allowing for leaks.
Fortunately, high-quality experts like Foundation Repair Solutions will provide a free, in-home foundation assessment, identifying any foundation damage. The sooner this happens, the better. A professional can uncover problems and fix them in a timely manner. This will avoid major structural issues, or at the least, stop the ongoing damage in its tracks.
We would love to hear from you. Tell us, have you ever let a home maintenance problem languish, and as a result ended up with a bigger problem?