When you find a problem with your home, your first instinct might be to ask yourself, ?Do I really have to repair this??. Some home improvement projects can wait for several years or even indefinitely. Your foundation, however, may or may not be a different story. Foundation problems, depending on their severity and what type of foundation you have, can be an investment to fix.? If the problem is big enough, you may even need to replace the entire foundation. How do you know when it?s time to walk away from foundation issues instead of spending the time and money to repair them? If you require additional information, click ?visit website? for additional information.?
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Signs of Foundation Issues
Before you can figure out whether or not to repair your foundation issues, you?ll need to know what to look out for.?
- Water in your basement. When your foundation experiences strain from the ground around it, it may crack and let water into the basement, especially after heavy rains.?
- Sagging or uneven floors. When your foundation weakens or separates, it causes the weight of your house to shift, which can lead to sagging, sloping, or uneven floors.
- Cracks in the walls or floors. The basement isn?t the only place that cracks can appear when you have a foundation problem. Cracks may appear throughout your home, so if you notice one starting, get it looked at right away.
- Dampness and/or mold. If your basement is letting in moisture, there?s the potential for mold growth as soon as 24 hours after the moisture initially collects.?
- Bugs getting in. If parts of your foundation are weak or cracking, this provides space for bugs to crawl in. Many bugs also thrive in damp, cool conditions like basements, so you could end up with an infestation.
Is Foundation Repair an Emergency?
It makes sense to be alarmed after finding signs of foundation problems. Once you find the first crack in the wall, you may be nervous about the structural integrity of your house and whether it?s safe to stay there. However, the good news is that foundation problems are not always an emergency. If you are seeing minor cracks less than ? of an inch, a small dip in the floor, and so on, don?t wait to call a foundation repair company.
However, though you should get an inspection done as soon as possible, you don?t need to immediately leave your home or anything like that. Most foundation problems worsen gradually, not overnight.?
The Cost of Foundation Repair
Foundation repair can be an investment, and the cost might be daunting at first. The national average cost for a foundation repair is $4,542. Depending on what method is used to perform the repair and how severe the problem is, this cost may be higher or lower- the best way to determine what you?ll pay is to contact a foundation repair company for an inspection and an estimate.?
You should also consider future costs when you?re deciding whether or not to fix your foundation. Will the repair provide a lasting solution, or will you end up sinking more of your hard-earned money into Band-Aid fixes? A structural engineer or foundation repair contractor can provide insight into this for you. If you don?t have experience in foundation repairs and replacements, it can be hard to tell when repairs are worth it and when they aren?t.?
When is a Foundation Beyond Repair?
There are times when a foundation is so unstable or badly damaged that it?s not worth repairing. Generally, a foundation is considered ?beyond repair? when the required repairs would still not make the foundation safe. Here are a few indicators that it may be time to walk away from your foundation.
- Bulging walls. Walls bowing or bulging inward is a sign of severe pressure on the foundation. If walls are left bulging for too long, the damage can become too severe to fix.
- Sloping floors. Uneven floors are a sign that your foundation may be sinking into the ground, but when they start to have a serious slope to them, the problem has gotten very bad. If your house has sunk too far, there may be no saving your foundation.
- Cracks in more than one direction. A crack in the wall is alarming enough on its own, but it looks even scarier when it?s running up or along the wall in different directions. This is a sign that there?s great pressure on your foundation and the materials can?t take the strain.
How Can a Structural Engineer Help?
When you have an inspection done by a professional foundation repair company, they may bring in a structural engineer to assess the state of your foundation. Structural engineers are specifically trained to assess the stability of a structure, so they will be able to advise you on whether or not the foundation is worth it to fix and whether you should stay in your home or walk away from the issue.?
Do Foundation Issues Make It Harder to Sell Your House?
If you?ve decided to walk away from the foundation issues instead of repairing them, you?ll likely sell your house. Listing a house for sale can be a stressful process, and it can be even more stressful if you?re selling a house with something like a foundation problem.?
The good news is that foundation issues do not make it impossible to sell your home. You?ll need to have an inspection done before listing the house, then disclose the foundation problem to any potential buyer. Some buyers actually look for homes with foundation problems, mold, and other issues so that they can ?flip? them and either sell them or live in them themselves. If the flipping market is strong in your area, you have a good chance of finding someone willing to purchase your house, even with a severely damaged foundation.
Be aware that foundation problems take 10-20% off the value of your home, likely even more if the problems have been deemed too severe to fix. A foundation repair contractor can evaluate the damage, then your realtor will use that information to determine the resale value.
