Houses age slowly. However, it all boils down to how well-maintained a house is. Continuous maintenance of homes tends to preserve their originality. On the flip side, any building age sooner if it is not maintained enough.
Moreover, foundation issues can impact longevity as well as the safety of the structure. What’s more, such matters can lower the resale value of your house.
How much does a foundation repair cost and why is it important?
Foundation repair costs can be as low as $1,000. In certain instances of minor repairs, the cost may go lower than that. Needless to say, the expense for repairing substantial foundation work may range anywhere between $5,000 to $30,000.
Essentially, the degree of foundation damages decides the total cost. Some minor issues may include fixing gutters, bolting the foundation on steel braces, and so on. On the other hand, damages can be significant too such as cracked bricks, broken foundation, and more.
Unfortunately, foundation issues are not the type of house problems to be placed on the back burner and forget. These can be unsafe as they can culminate in concerns such as structural damages, equipment malfunction, and tripping hazards to name a few.
It can also negatively affect your home’s resale value. Rare Daily gives some rough estimates of foundation issues declining the house’s worth by 10-15%. So, for example, if a home’s worth is of $300,000, it could lose about $30,000 to $45,000 in value due to foundation issues.
Common causes of foundation problems
Now that importance of foundational repairs has been stated; it is essential to understand what could be possibly causing the problem. Here’s an in-depth look at three primary causes for most of the foundation repair problems:
- Soil problems
Generally, one of the main culprits behind foundation repair issues is soil issues. There are two chief types of soil problems that may surface namely soil expansion and soil consolidation.
- Expansive soil: These are similar to clay soils and show issues when there is too much moisture. Consequently, the soil expands, causing an upheaval that is the opposite of settlement. It pushes the foundation up and culminates in problems such as foundation settling.
- Consolidating soil: This is the opposite of expansive soil; it occurs when there is not enough moisture in the soil. As a result, the soil shrinks and pulls away from the foundation causing cracks.
- Natural disasters
Often, mother nature is also the one to be blamed for foundation repair problems. Mainly, earthquakes and hurricanes are held responsible for the damage. Both of these concerns can cause substantial problems.
- Hurricanes: The heavy rains and flooding associated with storms can cause the soil to expand. Subsequently, it presses against the foundation of your house and causes cracks.
- Earthquakes: Your house’s foundation shakes as the ground shakes in the event of an earthquake. This movement culminates in cracked chimney bricks, cracked blocks or cracks in the concrete slabs. Moreover, earthquakes can magnify existing cracks in the foundation, resulting in water problems in the basement.
- Construction issues
Lastly, the third chief cause behind foundation repair problems is an issue due to improper construction or related to it. These include poor construction and inadequate soil.
- Poor construction: Before a house is constructed, its foundation is laid out and readied for construction work. This phase usually involves soil testing, soil compacting, and designing support needed for a house. Your house is at serious risk, and you are more likely to see foundation repair problems if any of these phases is missed or substandard materials are used during these stages.
- Poor soil preparation: If the soil is not prepared thoroughly or if the builder backfilled the soil without compacting it, then the odds of construction issues are high.
Wrap up
If you’re wondering about ‘Foundation Repair Near me ‘after reading this, then you are headed in the right direction. Several reasons can reach a finale of foundation problems, and it is best to respond to the issues promptly. Check your foundation for any apparent issues, then have a professional foundation repair company inspect and fix the matter for you.
