Rural living is challenging in its own right, but invigorating, too. After all, you have to build up a support system around your property to ensure that, should something go wrong, you have all the supplies you need to get you through.
What are you supposed to do, though, if the foundation of your home starts to leak?
The good news is that no matter where you are, professional foundation repair contractors will be able to help you restore your home. Where, though, do you start?
What Causes a Foundation Leak?
It often feels like your foundation starts to leak for no reason at all. This, however, is not the case. Most foundation leaks form after weeks or months of exposure to extreme stress. Hydrostatic pressure, specifically, is a kind of pressure that builds up outside of your home when you’ve taken on heavy rain. This pressure erodes the materials making up your foundation while also causing those materials to rapidly change in temperature. To try and compensate for the changes in temperature, your foundation will expand and contract. If this happens too many times, cracks will start to form.
That said, large trees can also have a negative impact on your foundation’s stability. If you’ve planted trees with invasive root systems near your home, those roots may start to break through your foundation in their search for groundwater.
Signs to Look Out For
Foundation leaks and basement leaks are going to look similar to the untrained eye. However, foundation leaks tend to have the biggest impact on the structural supports inside of your home. With that in mind, you’re going to want to keep an eye on your internal supports for signs of damage. 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
Some homeowners want to believe that if they let a leak go, it’ll eventually disappear. While the symptoms of a leak may leave you alone for a little while, especially if the rain dries up, the crack in your foundation is going to remain. If you let a foundation leak go for too long, you may find yourself dealing with:
● Vertical cracks in your walls
● A cracked chimney
● Cracks running horizontally across your foundation
● Home sinking
Fixing a Foundation Leak
Once you’ve determined whether or not your foundation is leaking, it’s time to fix it up. Some of the most common foundation repair solutions include:
● Piering
● Underpinning
● Leveling and slabjacking
● Sealing
● Subfloor drainage
Reaching Out for Professional Guidance
If you’re concerned about saving money, or if you’re looking to save time, you may consider trying to fix up your foundation yourself. While this is a good idea in theory, you may actually end up causing more harm than good. It requires a specific education and experience to successfully fix a leaking foundation. Without those credentials, you could not only make your leak worse but rack up a higher bill with the professional you do eventually have to call.
When in doubt, ask for guidance. The foundation repair professionals working in your area will be able to provide you with a free inspection and quote, after which you’ll be able to select the foundation repair solution that suits your home best.
Above all else, don’t wait. Take back your home ASAP with a personalized foundation repair solution.