Why Waiting on Fixing Your Foundation Can Cause More Problems
Who isn’t guilty of procrastination? People by nature have an out of sight out of mind mentality. Unfortunately, this can be detrimental when it comes to the health of your home and especially the foundation. Holding off seemingly minor repairs can lead to much more severe issues down the line.
- Some foundation problems progress slowly and others progress rapidly.
- There is no way to know simply by eyeballing the damage whether it is progressing slowly or rapidly
- Foundation changes can mean added damage when lifting is required, or a need to work on the interior of the house
- Waiting until the damage progresses can add to the cost of the repair
- Sometimes waiting until the problem is bad leads to reduction in repairability
Do Foundation Problems Always Get Worse?
Foundations tend to sink over time due to the contraction of the soil, caused by back-and-forth moisture retention and dry spells. Early indicators of a compromised foundation include visible cracks in the walls or jammed windows and doors. If you ignore these signs, the symptoms can exacerbate to larger cracks or even complete separation in the walls. Does it always get worse? Not always, but it does more often than not due to the soil conditions in the North Texas area.
The Consequences of Neglecting Repairs
Ignoring repairs can cause spreading structural damage. A weakened foundation has a domino effect where the damage can spread to areas like the floors, walls, ceiling, and window frames. Other damages include:
- Plumbing – As the cracks begin to form, the damage can spread to the pipes. Leaky water leeches into the soil, creating the aforementioned contraction.
- Lost Property Value – Continued foundation damage leads to a decline in the home’s value. A real estate agent will not agree to put the property up for sale until costly repairs are made.
- Further Brick and Sheetrock Issues – Sinking foundations can cause horizontal or “stair-step” cracks in brick exteriors that in extreme cases can grow to 1″ wide. These cracks may allow water to seep into the basement, exacerbating damage to the foundation. Similarly, foundation damage can cause serious cracking in sheetrock, which may have to be replaced at a steep cost adding on to the expense of repairing the foundation issues that caused the cracking in the first place.
- Framing Issues – Sinking foundations can cause serious framing damage that can be very costly to repair. Cracked foundations can sink into the ground (especially at the corners of the building) causing damage to wall studs, roof rafters, door frames, ceiling joists, and more. If pressure from deformed framing is strong enough, doors and windows may not open. Framing lumber may need to be entirely replaced after the foundation is repaired.
- Roof Damage – Shifts in the foundation can also cause roof damage, telltale signs of which include sagging or bowing in the roofline, or sections with bulges or dips. If the damage is severe enough, sections of the roof may need to be replaced.
Don’t Let Foundation Damage Linger
The faster you act the more foundation repair options you have at your disposal, and the more affordable they are likely to be. Contact Align Foundation Repair at the first signs of a damaged foundation. Swift remediation from our Garland foundation repair service ensures you don’t end up with more serious and costly issues months or years down the road.
