Fixing a House Foundation - What to do

Having a guide for fixing a house foundation – what to do is very important. It enables you to prevent some foundation problems from worsening as well as saving your money by fixing problems that you would otherwise pay a contractor to fix. In every foundation problem, you have an option for fixing the problem yourself or hiring a professional contractor to do the job.

Perhaps, you have noticed problems in your foundation. Maybe your foundation has cracks that are widening every day. The walls, bricks or blocks might also be cracking but you do not know. Closing the doors and windows in your home might be a problem because they are sticking on the walls and floors. All these are signs of foundation problems. If some of these problems are not fixed properly and on time, they will worsen and repairing them will cost you more.

For any foundation, it is important that you fix underlying problems. Water is the common culprit of foundation problems. This can accumulate in the underground soil making the soil to expand. This exerts pressure on the foundation footings and walls causing cracks on the floor and wall.

It is also important that you check the downspout drains and gutters to ensure that they are working properly. It is crucial to ensure that the soil around the foundation is graded properly. It should be about 6 inches per 10 horizontal feet. Most foundations have a perimeter drain system such as the French drain and it channels the sub-surface water from your foundation. This prevents water from seeping to the soil beneath the foundation.

You should also check whether there are trees around your home. This is very important because it helps you to determine whether the roots will cause cracks in the foundation. Foundation problems caused by tree roots can extend to the walls and eventually cause cracks on the bricks and walls.

Uneven foundation - If the problem of the foundation has caused several cracks, bowing and tipping of the walls or floor then substantial reinforcement is required to prevent more deterioration.  Such problems requires you to repair the house walls from the inside using steel braces or wood, wall anchors or carbon-fiber mesh. Steel and wood braces installation will help in preventing further movement. Spreading epoxy in the vertical strips and pressing them on carbon-fiber mesh helps in locking wall in its place is important. Wall anchors are like large bolts. They are made of metal plates in the yard and metal plates on the inner side of the foundation walls. Steel rods that are buried horizontally connect the plates.

Washed out foundation  - If water from a plugged gutter, water pipe that is broken or another drainage problem sent sufficient water alongside the perimeter of your foundation, you might need to engage a contractor to help you prevent further damage of the water to the foundation. Some parts of the foundation might have to be torn to re-pour and tie new section of the old foundation.
It is important to note that some foundation problems can be fixed by a homeowner while others require help of experienced professionals. As such, it is highly advisable that you consider and evaluate the problem of your foundation carefully before engaging in the repair project.  The first step is understand or evaluating the foundation problem and its cause. You might not know the exact foundation problem of your home by looking at the signs and that is why you should hire an expert to fix the problem if you cannot identify the problem.