The foundation is the support structure for the whole house. If something is wrong with it, that can directly impact the entire house. So foundation problems can be one of the most critical part of your home inspection and appropriate action as soon as possible.
Signs
Sometimes there will be obvious signs of damage such as structural cracks along a concrete foundation that indicate that it could be breaking apart. Other homes are set on piers made of concrete blocks or wood, and those could be out of alignment or structurally degraded. A damaged foundation may cause the roof-line to become uneven, or maybe the footings holding up the house are sinking.
Interior indicators include tilted floors or “popping of floors”. If you place a tennis ball on a smooth floor and it suddenly rolls to the other side of the room, for example, that may indicate that the floors aren’t level because of an unlevel foundation. You may find that doors get stuck and are hard to open, or that they open by themselves.
There are many reasons why a home inspector might be led to believe that the foundation needs to be more closely examined. The inspector will conduct a visual examination, and if there are any signs that might point to foundation trouble we will report it to you in our findings and recommend next steps.
What to Do Next
Normally this means that you will need to hire a professional foundation repair company or a certified structural engineer. They will perform tests to evaluate the condition of the foundation, and based on the results they will either give your structure a clean bill of health or they will recommend a suitable remedy. Before you hire a company, be sure to check your local laws because in most states foundation repair companies and engineers are required to have specific licenses by a regulatory board.
Various Solutions
You may find out the signs and symptoms are only cosmetic, and that they are caused by something other than a poor foundation. But if the foundation is in need of repair it may be because it is shifting against the ground. As the foundation moves it will bring the house with it, and this can cause all sorts of structural damage. There may also be a drainage problem pushing the foundation that can be addressed by redirecting rainwater with properly installed gutters.
If the foundation is breaking apart or crumbling, it may be necessary to repair and strengthen it. Oftentimes a foundation repair company will lift the house up off of its foundation, perform the repairs, and then place the house back down on its new, stable foundation.
Depending upon the extent of the problem, the repairs could range from relatively simple to very complicated and expensive. So consult with Anchor Home Inspection we will work with you and guide you to hire the best experts you can to examine the potential problem.
Anchor Home Inspections is a quality Home Inspector to Rhode Island and Connecticut. So the next time you’re searching for home inspector near me or home inspection near me click on Anchor Home Inspection to schedule a home inspection or any of our other home inspection services.
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