The home you live in can be your biggest asset or your largest liability, depending on its condition. If you think that your foundation may be suffering from problems, it’s important to schedule an inspection as soon as possible, before the foundation issues get worse and more expensive to fix. Here are some signs that your foundation may need professional house leveling due to issues with your foundation.
The foundation is a huge part of any house, and making sure it’s perfectly level and completely stable is incredibly important to not only its longevity but also your health and comfort. A sinking or bowing foundation can lead to all sorts of issues with mold growth and excess moisture. Crawl spaces are notorious for lacking ventilation and being damp places for pests to thrive. And even worse, it may be an indicator that something more serious (and more expensive) is going on—such as structural cracks in walls from settling soil/water pressure during rainstorms.
A house can absolutely be leveled, if its foundation is not in good shape. While you may think that your foundation isn’t as important as other parts of your home, it actually plays a crucial role in keeping your entire home structure together. After all, without a stable base for support, your walls won’t stay upright, let alone keep standing for years and years to come.
When your foundation starts breaking down, that can cause visible signs of damage in other parts of your home, as well. For example, if you have a crack in your foundation wall and water is seeping into your basement, you’ll also likely see some damage from water leaking inside. This could include mold or mildew on walls, which will eventually get so bad that you’ll need to rip out those walls entirely to eliminate it. In addition, your floors may start feeling uneven because they are no longer supporting their own weight evenly; while moving furniture may create bumps in certain spots on these floors, eventually even walking around will make them feel uneven (not to mention feel unstable).
Sloping floors and doors or windows that stick or won’t close properly are two common signs that your home may need foundation repair. However, if you see any of these signs, call a structural engineer or contractor right away. If you ignore such a problem, you could end up with water damage on your floorboards, mold in your walls and other harmful side effects that can be avoided by getting your home leveling now.
Another sign that your house may need foundation repair is mold. We recommend you do a visual inspection of your home for any signs of mold, such as discoloration in walls or floors, condensation on windows and moisture stains on exterior walls. If you notice any of these signs, it may be time to level your house before conditions get worse.
The foundation of your home can be assessed with a home inspection. This type of inspection will enable you and your contractor to see if any cracks are forming in your foundation, or if there is any noticeable settling in one part of your house. Home inspectors will also be able to look at damages done by flooding and determine if it’s better for you to level your house instead of trying repairs on your own. If cracks are found in a structure, they must be repaired immediately, as they could cause mold or leaks.
A home inspection can also help you decide if it’s best for you to invest in house leveling. Cracks in a foundation are an indication that something is wrong with your home’s structure. These cracks will grow larger and larger over time, allowing water, moisture and mold to enter into your walls and floors.
Old houses usually have uneven floors. And while that gives them a historical charm, it can also be inconvenient and dangerous. Not only can it throw off your sense of balance, but it can also cause trouble with doorjambs and floorboards.
There are a few ways you can even out your floors. One is by installing door shims. But that’s temporary and won’t fix all of your problems. The best way to level uneven floors is by having a professional or a specialist do it for you. They will come in with their commercial equipment, take care of business, and leave you with nice, even floors. It’s not an ideal situation, but sometimes it has to be done. If your house has crooked floors that aren’t easily repairable, there’s probably another issue at hand, like foundation issues or something similar, that needs attention right away. Hopefully, these signs help you figure out what work might need doing on your house before things get worse!
It depends on how many problems are affecting your home. If you need a new foundation, or repairs done on one that’s already in place, then it can cost thousands of dollars. According to Home Advisor most homeowners will pay around $4,660 to repair foundation issues. However, if it’s just a minor foundation problem like water leakage or cracks in floors and walls that can be fixed with minimal labor costs (and minimal time away from your home), then you may not need a total house leveling. Talk to a contractor about whether or not house leveling is necessary for your specific situation.
If you want to save money and do it yourself, you might be wondering if home foundation leveling can be done on your own. The answer depends on many factors like how severe your foundation problems are and how much time you have available. A DIY foundation leveling project can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on how major your foundation issues are. While some DIY projects offer financial benefits in terms of avoiding professional labor costs, that's not always true for home leveling.
However, there are a lot of ways a DIY foundation repair can go wrong. So, be sure to leave your house leveling to the professionals. If you think you my require house leveling or slab jacking, reach out to our team at Topeka Foundation Repair & Waterproofing.