As the years pass, your home’s foundation grows older. Over time, this can mean degradation that requires maintenance and repair. So which parts of the foundation are more susceptible to damage over time, and what can you do about it?
Most home foundation problems can be traced back to one of two causes: poor construction or poor soil conditions.
On the construction side of the equation, building materials can deteriorate and become defective over time. For example, some homes are built with low-grade concrete or porous mortar, which can retain moisture and degrade as the years go by.
Poor construction planning and faulty building practices might also become obvious over time. When the home builder was preparing your home’s building site, he removed soil in the area where the foundation was poured. Then, when construction was complete, the area around the home’s foundation was back-filled with soil. Sometimes, this back-fill is not placed properly. It might not be spread evenly, or it might be of poor quality. Any of these conditions can cause problems as the soil shifts and settles, causing damage over time.
Now let’s talk about poor soil conditions. Expansive soils like those found in North Texas can cause major foundation damage. These soils, which are laden with clay, swell and shrink, depending upon the amount of moisture present in the ground.
During times of dryness, shrinkage can remove support from the building. Drought can cause cracks to form in the soil around the home. When moisture in the soil rises to a normal level or becomes saturated during a time of extensive rain, the soil can expand up to 10 percent or more in volume. The change in soil volume exerts upward and lateral force on the structure. Improper drainage, where water is not guided away from the home’s foundation, can further exacerbate these problems.
In these situations, the home’s foundation can shift and move, leading to extensive foundation damage and a need for expensive foundation repair. While shifts may not cause problems initially, the first year or two after the home was built, they can do additional damage over time. The shifts may become more dramatic as movement becomes common.
In addition, building materials may weaken and give under pressure after years pass. For example, unnoticeable hairline cracks in the mortar between bricks may suddenly transform into large openings. Small cracks at the foundations corner will, over time, grow larger and could even result in a large piece of the concrete breaking away.
As continual swelling and shifting weakens the house’s bones, more cosmetic damage begins to appear. This might include cracks around doors and windows sticking doors and windows, uneven floors, cracks in walls and more.
Because damage grows greater over time, it’s imperative to call a foundation professional you can trust at the first sign of a problem. If you are seeing the telltale signs of a foundation in distress, contact Foundation Repair Solutions today for a free evaluation.
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