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The Ins and Outs of Necessary Foundation Repair

Balancing an organic home’s needs with the whims of the environment is a challenge, especially as the seasons start to change. You want to create a positive ecosystem in which your family can thrive, of course – but to do so, you often have to protect yourself from the whims of Mother Nature.

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If you live in an especially rainy area, or if you’ve refurbished an older home, your home has the potential to develop a foundation leak. These leaks, if gone untreated, can put the health and financial safety of your family at risk.

What can you do, then, to protect your home while still respecting the whims of the environment around you?

The Causes Behind Foundation Leaks

Foundation leaks are often caused not by a single trigger but by many. When environmental forces work in tandem with one another to expose your foundation materials to hydrostatic pressure, those materials will erode or shift until cracks begin to form. Thus comes the leak.

What causes, specifically, though, should cause you worry? The most common ones behind foundation leaks include:

  • Heavy rain
  • Shifting soil
  • The material’s response to the weather
  • Large trees with invasive root systems near your home

Signs to Look Out for

Foundation leaks tend to have the biggest impact on the structural supports inside your home. While the untrained eye may initially mistake a foundation leak for a basement leak, there are some clear symptoms that you’ll be able to prescribe to the more serious of the two problems.

The most common signs of a foundation leak that you’ll find inside of your home include:

  • Bowing walls
  • Shifting floors
  • Gaps at the joints of your foundation
  • Sticking doors
  • Foggy windows
  • Water-damaged belongings or furniture
  • Mold

Unfortunately, the myths surrounding foundation repair practices prevent many homeowners from seeking out viable waterproofing or repair solutions before a leak can worsen. If you let a foundation leak go for too long, you’ll end up finding its symptoms outside of your home.

A foundation leak that you’ve let fall by the wayside can cause:

  • Vertical cracks in your walls
  • A cracked chimney
  • Cracks running horizontally across your foundation
  • Home sinking

How to Fix a Foundation Leak

Even if you’re not able to identify the signs of a foundation leak, a professional foundation repair contractor will. The contractors operating in your area will often be able to provide you with a free initial inspection and services quote, from which you’ll be able to choose the repair solutions that best suit your priorities.

Some of the most common foundation repair solutions include:

  • Piering
  • Underpinning
  • Leveling and slabjacking
  • Sealing
  • Subfloor drainage

The Benefit of Professional Guidance

When you’ve worked so hard to build your home, it’s tempting to undertake the challenge of a leaking foundation on your own. After all, won’t solving the problem on your own save you time and money in the long run?

More often than not, the answer to the question is no. Homeowners who don’t have the same certifications as professional foundation repair contractors can often cause more damage to a foundation leak if they try to repair it on their own time. Not only, then, will the cost of your DIY repairs dig into your budget, but you’ll have to pay more for a professional contractor to come and clean up your attempted fix.

In the end, it’s always safer to reach out to an experienced professional for guidance when dealing with a foundation leak. Act quickly and with a clear head, and you’ll be able to maintain a healthy balance inside and outside of your home.

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