Your home’s foundation is one of its most vital structural features. Designed to provide your home with a strong support post as it sits on the land, these building elements are what keep things standing. However, even the most durable of foundations can suffer damage over time. As such, you must have a general idea of how to fix these problems. Here are our four helpful tips for repairing home foundation damage and ensuring your home is safe to live in for years to come.
Divert Waterflow Away From the Home
Excess water around your home’s foundation is one of the most common causes of damage. With years of storms and resulting erosion, the water slowly widens and seeps into foundation cracks, creating substantial issues in your walls. So if you’re starting a foundation repair project, you must first redirect as much water away from the area as possible. Maintaining your home’s gutter system can greatly help with this because it’ll deposit most rainwater away from your house.
Caulk Any Large Cracks
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to fix foundation problems yourself, hardware store caulk products are the answer. Every home foundation develops a few cracks as the ground shifts and the building settles. But when these cracks become expansive and have gaps that are ⅛ inch or more, they can start affecting overall structural integrity. Fortunately, caulk can help with this by filling in the cracks and forming a tight seal against further corrosive materials.
Excavate With the Proper Equipment
Should you notice additional damage extending below the ground line along your foundation, you may need to do some excavating to get to the root of the problem. In this case, you must have the proper equipment to do the project safely. Skid steers, or mini excavators, make shoveling out and relocating large amounts of dirt and clay a breeze. With their powerful scooping and lifting mechanisms, you can dig out your entire foundation in as little as an afternoon. Furthermore, equipping your skid steer with quality rubber tracks can increase its traction and improve its performance.
Call a Professional for More Severe Problems
Unfortunately, though, not all foundation repair projects are ones you can handle on your own. That’s why our last helpful tip for repairing home foundation damage is to know when to hire a professional. Damage that has spread far into the home or across the rest of the foundation requires a lot more expertise to handle. Professionals also have access to additional resources that can help with other issues, such as basement wall bulging and sinking. So, even if you want to fix the problem alone, it may be better to call a professional.
