If you are lucky enough to have a basement in your home, you need to be aware that there are things that you may not be aware of that can be extremely dangerous. For this article, we came up with a list of some of the things that be expected to go wrong at some point. We also included some things that a professional basement repair company will do to repair the damage.
If you are having what you suspect is a foundation issue and you are in the Western part of Colorado or surrounding states you should consider contacting Foundation Repairs of Western Colorado, which specializes in basement and foundation repairs.
7 Common basement issues and what to do about them
Cracks in the walls and or floor – Due to normal settling it is not unusual for a homeowner to find small hairline cracks in their basement walls and floors within the first couple of years. However, if you are finding larger cracks or horizontal cracks in the walls or floors you should be concerned. These types of cracks should be looked at by a professional and repaired as quickly as possible.
Excessive foundation settling – Excessive settling or a sinking foundation is a definite sign of a serious condition. If you happen to notice that one side of the house is much lower than the other, this is a dead giveaway that your home is likely sinking and not just settling. If you suspect that there is a sinking problem, you need to call a professional to determine the extent of the sinking and find the root cause.
Upheavals in the floor – While a settling or sinking foundation is often considered normal, a rising foundation or upheaval is definitely not normal. An upheaval condition generally occurs around the perimeter of the foundation and it is normally caused by the expansion of the soil. Unlike when the soil under the foundation erodes and you have sunk, the expanding soil will force the foundation upward. This will need to be corrected by an expert in foundation repair.
Poorly fitting doors – The opening and closing of the doors in your home are dependent on the squareness of the frame. If you notice that the doors are starting to stick excessively, or they are not opening and closed tightly as they once did. You are likely having some type of foundation issue and you should have it looked at. If you let it go for too long, you could be in for much higher repair bills.
Large gaps around windows – Gaps around windows and exterior doors or French-style doors that don’t come together correctly are a good sign that you might be experiencing a foundation issue. You may be thinking that you can simply fill in the gaps between the windows, however, that will not fix the problem. You will likely be backfilling in the same gaps all over again. You need to call in an expert to identify the foundation issues and make the proper corrections.
Floors appear uneven in places – Uneven or sagging flooring can be caused by a number of things depending on how your foundation is constructed. The typical slab floor that is sagging or uneven in spots is usually caused by the soil eroding from underparts of the slab. You will want to call in an expert that can identify the exact cause of the slab movement and make the necessary correctly fairly quickly.
Excessive dampness in the crawl space – If you don’t have a slab foundation, it will have a pier and beam system instead. This type of foundation means that there will be designated crawl spaces to allow free access to utility lines that enter and exit the house. If there is an excess amount of dampness or moisture you will likely notice a number of things inside the house. You will need to call in an expert to find the source of the moisture and get it repaired.
