Most foundational problems are caused by water. Whether there’s too much water, not enough, or the water is causing soil erosion, your foundation is sure to suffer.
The integrity of your home as a whole depends on the integrity of the foundation, which means you should make sure that you’ve got a sturdy layer underneath you.
5 Surprising Things
In this article, we’ll go over five surprising things that could damage your home’s foundation so that you know what to watch for.
Too much water
If there’s too much water in the soil, it will expand and place pressure on the foundation, which will crack the concrete. It even has the potential to crack your floors, ceilings, and walls. In extreme cases, you might even notice your floors beginning to slope.
Be mindful of the weather and make sure to keep your sprinkler off if there’s a few days’ worth of storms coming in. The extra water may come from other sources too, like leaks in the plumbing or broken sewer lines.
Not Enough Water
When soil doesn’t get enough water, it will dry out and shrink. This makes it pull away from the foundation, and when soil does that, the foundation grows more unstable, and it’s inclined to shift. When the foundation shifts, you’ll start to see those cracks we talked about in the last point. You might even notice problems when you try to open your doors and windows.
Tree roots
Schedule a regular inspection for your tree roots because overgrowth and water transpiration from the soil can cause the ground to become dehydrated. When the ground is dehydrated (you can refer back to our last point), the soil will settle and shift and cause major structural damage.
Poor construction
Maybe the contractor who built your home didn’t follow all the proper building codes when they did their work. They may have cut corners to reduce operating costs, which can put your foundation in a world of hurt. If they used insufficient steel and substandard concrete, you may notice your foundation beginning to shift. To avoid this, hire a contractor that you trust.
Poor pool installation
Poor installation of a pool—indoors or outdoors—can cause water to seep into the soil around the foundation. Once the soil absorbs the water, it will put pressure on your foundation. Then, when it evaporates again, the soil will deflate and may cause the concrete to crack. If you’re getting a pool installed, talk things over with your contractor to see what they can do to keep this from happening.
Keeping Foundation Strong
As you can see, there are many factors that can affect your foundation. If you’ve got a problem with your home’s foundation or you’d like to prevent one from happening, One Man & A Toolbox is the expert to call. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.