Is It Safe to Live in a House With Foundation Problems?
If you live in a home with foundation issues or you’re considering buying one, you may be wondering what to do next. The bottom line is that it’s usually quite safe to live in a home with foundation problems. It usually all boils down to identifying whether your home is experiencing a common, fixable foundation issue, or if it is a more rare case of severe foundation damage that could put your family in harm’s way.
Your Home’s Foundation Is Very Important
There’s no doubt about it: your home’s foundation is very important for several different reasons:
- It holds up your home’s entire structure, preventing it from sinking into the ground.
- If it’s insulated, it can help protect your home from extreme temperature changes.
- It helps keep water and moisture out of your basement
Very Few Homes With Foundation Issues Are in Immediate Danger
Out of all of the homes that have foundation repair issues, very few of them actually have issues severe enough to warrant an immediate evacuation of the premises. Some repair companies will go out of their way to scare the wits out of potential clients when it comes to foundation repair, but we work differently.
At Align Foundation Repair, we recognize that most people are able to continue living in their homes while a full assessment is done. The reason that most people in our area are in no immediate danger when it comes to foundation issues is due to local conditions: Texas soil and Texas weather!
The clay soil and weather that affect most of Central Texas are the key reasons that area homes’ foundations can become damaged. Clay soil expands when it’s wet, and it shrinks when it’s dry. When the soil is extremely wet, it can cause portions of your home’s foundation to rise. When the soil is extremely dry, it can cause your home to sink lower than the level it was originally set at. Weather in the Dallas-Fort Worth area changes at the drop of a hat, making it more likely for these types of foundation issues to show up.
Reasons You’ll Eventually Want to Take Care of Foundation Issues
While the likelihood of your home collapsing in on itself due to foundation issues is pretty small, there are reasons that you’ll eventually want to get it repaired.
- Banks are often reluctant to provide financing to potential homebuyers if there are foundation issues with the homes they’re planning on purchasing, limiting your pool of available buyers if you want to sell.
- The cosmetic and functional issues that come from foundation issues, including uneven floors, growing cracks in the wall, doors and windows that are jammed or can’t close properly, and mold and moisture issues, will only get worse over time, leading to more expensive foundation repair
If you live in our broad Richardson foundation repair service area, contact Align Foundation Repair with any questions about the type of foundation damage you’re seeing in your home. We’d love to help, and offer free inspections and price quotes, as well as warranty-backed repair work.
