Whether you have recently bought a new home or are looking to improve the home you have, it is important to ask yourself if your home may need its foundation repaired. The foundation of your home is undeniably the most important part of your home. The home foundation provides support for your home, and without it, your home would be unlevel and begin to sink into the ground. Here is more about your foundation and questions to ask yourself when deciding if you need a new foundation.

What Is My Foundation and Why Is It Important?

Your foundation is buried into the ground under your home. It serves the purpose of supporting your home and keeping it level. If your home didn’t have a foundation, your home would begin to sink into the ground, causing cracks and damage to your house. In addition, the foundation of your home protects the house from unnecessary movement caused by changing temperatures, soil conditions, altered water tables, and even the tiny movements of tectonic plates below the Earth’s surface. Your foundation will also help keep moisture out of your home, a major cause of the overall weakening of your home’s structure. These are all important reasons you should make sure your foundation has no damage. Here are a number of ways to identify damage to your foundation:

How To Identify a Damaged Foundation

  1. Look for exterior cracks: If you walk around the outside of the home, exterior cracks will present themselves very clearly. Exterior cracks are very large and have a zig-zag pattern, and these are the cracks that will point to damage to your foundation.
  2. . Do not pay much attention to smaller, more fine cracks, as these are usually just signs of your home settling. Also, if you see brick cracks or protruding bricks, those are also signs that you need to have your foundation looked at. 
  3. Look for nails popping out of the drywall: If nails are popping out from your drywall consistently throughout your home, it may be time to have your foundation looked at. This is because the failure of your foundation to support your home’s weight can cause shifting between the drywall and your home’s frame.
  4. Cracks on the interior sheetrock: Take a look throughout your home. If you notice cracks that run nearly the height of the wall or cracks that fall where the wall meets the ceiling, this might be a sign of a poor foundation. Over time, this will lead to the sheetrock in your home slowly ripping and tearing.
  5. Do you have uneven floors?: If you notice a big differentiation in the gradient of the floors of your home, this could be a sign that you need your foundation repaired. This will be noticeable just while walking in the home. If it is severe you will be able to notice from the outside that the home has settled to be higher on one side than the other. Another way to tell if you have uneven floors would be the water test: pour a small amount of water on the floor and see if it flows one way or another or just sits in place. Also, check your home for doors that are out of frame, meaning the door doesn’t close correctly into the original frame. 
  6. Look for signs of rotten wood: Rotten wood throughout your home can be a big sign of foundation issues. If your foundation was constructed incorrectly or it’s time for a repair, there is a big chance that unnecessary moisture is coming into the home, which will cause wood to rot throughout the home. A poor foundation can also allow insects such as carpenter ants and termites to invade your home, leading to rotten wood. Furthermore, if the floors throughout your home tend to bounce or give when you step on them, that’s a sign that your foundation is at fault.
  7. Look for gaps around window frames or exterior doors: Some homeowners will notice gaps around their window frames along with large spaces around exterior doors to the home, or even that your doors do not lock properly. If the foundation is faulty, this can lead to doors not properly closing, making them difficult to close and latch.

Is It Time To Get Your Foundation Repaired?

After reading through some of the most common clues that your home’s foundation might be impaired, do you think that your home’s foundation could be damaged? It is super important for the safety of yourself and those in your home that your foundation is not damaged. You can easily determine if your foundation should be checked out, and you know exactly who to call when the answer is yes. With Allied Foundation, we make the process of foundation repair as easy as can be for you and your family. Be sure to call us for your free quote on fixing your home’s foundation.

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