How To Tell If A Foundation Is Healthy
It is important to tell if a foundation is healthy. There are plenty of things that homeowners need to keep an eye on and maintain. One of the most overlooked items is how to tell if a foundation is healthy. A home’s foundation plays an important role in the overall health of a home’s structure. Hire an inspector to ensure there are no areas of concern. It is essential for homeowners to ensure they maintain their home’s foundation to ensure it is performing properly and to avoid costly fixes and repairs in the future. In this blog, we are going to cover what constitutes a healthy foundation.
The Purpose of a Home’s Foundation
Before we get into how to tell whether or not a foundation is in good, healthy condition, we thought it would be best to quickly review a few of the many various functions of a home’s foundation.
Keeps A House Above Ground
Foundations, such as a concrete slab, beam, and pier foundations are manufactured to create a barrier between a home and the ground it rests on. If weather conditions, soil type, or other factors cause the ground beneath a home to move, there is a risk of potential damage to the foundation that may require repair.
Creates a Durable Platform To Keep House Level
Did you know that the average house can weigh anywhere between 85,000 and 170,000 pounds without the foundation? Due to a variety of factors, the weight of a home is at risk of not being evenly distributed if it is not placed on a solid, level structure that can support the load bearing weight of a home. Likewise, a slab foundation will help prevent roots and other foliage from growing beneath your house, which can lead to the risk of cracks, breaks, and other foundation issues. Elevated foundations, such as pier and beam foundations, are protected from the ground as well. When a house is level, it not only keeps the structure even and upright, but homeowners won’t have problem closing doors properly and their floors will not be sloping.
Protects The House From Elements
Foundations not only serve to keep a home’s structure above the ground and upright, they also help protect homes from potentially harmful water damage and protruding foliage, such as mold growth. When draining issues or slab plumbing leaks exist, it can damage the foundation and result in moving it upward. Flooding and other water damage can cause a variety of foundation problems and compromise a house’s structure.
How To Tell If A Foundation Is Healthy
It’s wise for homeowners to step outside every now and again to check their foundation. Noticing common problems with the foundation, such as cracked exterior brick or sheetrock, homeowners should contact an expert to evaluate the area. However, homeowners can quickly self-check the physical condition of their foundation by looking for the following signs.
1. Confirm proper drainage
Pooling or standing water around the exterior of their home, could be a risk to the foundation. When pooling or standing water is present, it can diminish the durability of the foundation or cause the surrounding soil to expand — both leading to trouble. The moisture level around a home can have a severe impact on your home’s foundation. If homeowners notice any areas where there is standing or accumulating water, they need to take the necessary steps to redirect the flow of water away from the home and its foundation. Installing a drainage system is a solution to protecting your valuable home and foundation from water damage.
2. Inspect foliage
Planting flowers, plants, and gardens near your home may look appealing. It is important to be conscious of what type of plants you are placing close to your home. For example, having large trees next to your home is bad news. Trees can develop roots that are strong enough to cause your foundation to shift or crack. Only plants with smaller, non-invasive roots should be placed near your home. Ask a landscaper to learn what trees grow large roots. Find out how far away from your home you should plant it in order to keep the foundation safe. Avoid planting bushes, hedges and other vegetation next to the foundation to avoid any future issues.
3. Identify any existing cracks
While cracks in a home’s foundation may cause some worry and concern, small cracks can be a normal result of a house settling. Small fractures are not anything to worry about. However, new cracks or expanding cracks is something to be on the lookout for. If you notice cracks that didn’t exist before or have gotten larger since you’ve last seen them, it could be a sign of foundation damage. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so have an expert arrive and perform an inspection.
How To Tell If A Foundation Is Healthy is a vital components of home ownership. By following the steps above you can make sure that your home’s foundation is in good condition.
If you are doing foundation repair, be sure to get your steel piling products from MAGNUM® Piering. As the industry leader in manufacturing high-quality steel piling products, MAGNUM® Piering has the products you need for foundation repairs. Our products are installed by hundreds of qualified contractors. To learn more about foundation repairs and piers, contact a MAGNUM® team member.
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