Foundation problems are often sudden and unforeseen. There are several reasons as to why your home’s foundation would deteriorate. Alongside the causes often come telltale indicators showing that the foundation needs repair. Today we look at some consequences of postponing foundation repair.

Escalating Costs of Repairs

If you have noticed a problem with your foundation, perhaps a tiny crack, it is best to repair it as early as possible. A small problem may be proof of an underlying issue which, if left unattended to, may escalate further. Repairing it soon will save you a lot of money than postponing the matter.

Property Value Goes Down

If you are trying to sell your property with foundation issues, the truth is you will have a hard time selling it at the right price. Home inspections will reveal that the property has problems to do with the foundation, which will be an extra cost to the new owner. Unfortunately, very few buyers will be interested in buying the property at the market value with all these in mind.

Insects Invasion

Creepy insects such as spiders, ants, mosquitoes, and termites breed comfortably in humid environments such as the cracks in foundations. The insects can be destructive and sometimes even cause severe health conditions to the people within the property.

Mold and Mildew Growth

Damaged and poorly maintained foundations form surroundings for the growth of fungal interlopers such as mildew and mold. These can trigger different kinds of allergy reactions and sometimes even asthma attacks that will leave your family and loved ones sick and uncomfortable.

Plumbing Problems

Postponing the repair of your foundation may lead to issues to do with plumbing. When the concrete in the foundation drops or gets dislocated, it may damage the pipes passing through the walls. Thus, a professional is required to step to carry out the extent of the damage to diagnose the issue.

If you have any foundation issues, contact us, and we will bring in our expertise for many years and satisfy your foundation needs.

When purchasing a house, assess the condition of the foundation structure. That is vital as the structural integrity of the home depends on the foundation. Below are some common signs that indicate foundation problems.

Sagging Or Uneven Floors

Floors that appear to sag or out of level is a clear indication of a foundation problem. Concrete slabs that have difficulty are easily noticeable as the ground will appear to be uneven and produce a squeaking noise. Slab foundations, however, have different signs of damage compared to concrete foundations. Sagging floors are hazardous to your children and even the elderly.

 Cracks on the Foundation and in the Walls

Check for cracks on the wall and foundation to ensure the structural integrity of the building is in good condition. A hole through the foundation is a red flag. Thus, you need to contact a professional foundation contractor. It indicates that the foundation is shifting, and it will end up tearing apart the foundation of your house. Horizontal cracks indicate that there is too much water pressure under the foundation structure.

Water Damage and Shifting Soil

Check the premises for wet areas to see if there is a water leak that could lead to foundation damage. Besides, soil-shifting is also another cause of foundation damage. Soil shifting is caused majorly by water damage or uneven ground level.

Difficulty in Closing Doors and Windows

When you notice that your doors give you a hassle when closing or opening, this is a sign of a shifting foundation. Your doors and windows are the parts that get affected in case of a soil shifting. You can try solving the problem by lubricating your doors and windows. If the issue goes on for an extended period, hire a professional foundation contractor to make the repair where necessary.

If you notice any of the above signs of foundation problems, you can contact us. Steady House Foundation Repair offers quality and professional services that will leave you impressed.

The foundation of your house is a vital structure. Thus, you need to ensure that it is durable to avoid damage in the future. Opting for DIY in case of a problem will only worsen the situation. Leave the work to the professionals, and you will not incur unnecessary repair costs in the future. With that said, here are the top benefits of hiring professional foundation repair contractors.

Expertise

This is one of the best benefits that you will get to enjoy when you opt to hire the services of an expert foundation contractor. A professional contractor is likely to give you the value of your money. Experts offer quality services, leaving you without any single doubt that your home will stand-still after a natural calamity.

 Access to Tools

Professionals have the necessary tools that are needed to carry out the job. Purchasing the tools yourself can be a daunting task since they are not readily available. Therefore, hire an expert service provider who will use the proper tools and get the job done in time.

Saves Time

Expert foundation repair contractors know their line of work very well since they are trained on how to handle foundation problems. Besides, opting for a DIY will only take up most of your time trying to find a solution for the foundation problem.

 Cost-effective

When you decide to repair the foundation of your building structure, hire a qualified contractor to perform the task. Doing it yourself will only cost you a lot of money, and you might end up not doing it correctly. The expert offers solutions to foundation problems at reasonable and pocket-friendly prices.

In conclusion, avoid solving your foundation problems on your own. Contact us, and we will provide a professional to do the repair work in the best way possible. There is no room for error, especially when it comes to the foundation of your structure.

 

Most home in Texas have slab foundations, while some have pier and beam foundations. Each type of foundation comes with potential house shifting caused by design, but shift happens in Texas for a variety of other reasons.

 

Slab Foundations

In Texas, the frost depth is rather shallow, so the home builder simply and cost-efficiently pours concrete on the ground in a big pad with rebar reinforcements. While this type of foundation is great for protecting your home from termites, it’s not so great for the drainage pipes in the concrete when the foundation starts settling.

Pier & Beam Foundations

The oldest type of foundation, pier and beam foundations look just like they sound: the house sits on girder beams held-up by piers, which leaves a little over a foot of crawl space under the house. This type of foundation shifts when there’s not enough ventilation, or insulation for water pipes, or when critters get under there and start making their own little homes.

Texas Soil & Climate

The climate in Texas gets hot and cold, sometimes very hot and very cold. Texas soil is clay soil, and clay reacts to the heat as much as it reacts to the cold climate. When it’s cold, clay expands, putting pressure on your foundation, whether slab or pier and beam. When it’s hot outside, clay shrinks, and your foundation goes with it.

This back and forth shrinking and expanding often makes your foundation and house shift.

Shift Happens Everywhere

Aside from shift in Texas, drainage systems that are not designed or constructed well can lead to shift no matter where a house sits. Moisture is a big issue when it comes to foundations and everything supporting the structure, including shims and joists. Plus, there can be issues far beyond the damage point when there’s a plumbing leak, which can also lead to moisture, and you guessed it: shift.

Tree roots can also cause issues for pipes and structural components, as well as soil that wasn’t properly compacted during the home building process.

For more information or to find-out if you have house shifting that needs to be addressed, contact us today at Steady House Foundation Repair.

We have talked about cracks in your foundation cracks a lot. We have stressed that as a foundation settles naturally with age, it will crack. As long as the crack is thin and not horizontal in direction, it is probably pretty harmless. However, when we say “small,” you may want something that is slightly more specific. How big is too big when it comes to foundation cracks?

If a crack is what could be defined as “hairline” or otherwise the width of a strand of hair, this is from naturally settling and nothing to worry about. As there is more tension put on the concrete, such as soil erosion on one side causing the foundation to tilt, that crack will widen. If you ever notice a hairline crack go from hairline to bigger, then this is a problem. It means that the crack was not caused by natural compression, something foundations are designed to handle, and is instead being widened by tension.

Any time a crack widens after it forms is cause to call for a foundation inspection. However, it may not be growing due to tension. Another potential cause of larger cracks in your foundation is erosion. Over time, water can get into those cracks, which attracts dirt as well as naturally erodes them. In the winter, water can get in there, freeze, and also serves to widen them. If you notice the edges of a crack fraying, but the interior is still rather hairline, you might not have a tension problem, but rather an erosion problem. This is why even with hairline cracks, you want a professional to come out and seal them with epoxy. It prevents the cracks from naturally getting worse.

What this means for you is even if you have minor cracks in your foundation, they still need some attention. If you have a cracking foundation that needs addressed, contact us today to see what Steady House Foundation Repair can do to help.

While you likely haven’t kept up on foundation laying techniques, they have only gotten better over the past 50 years. This means that properly laid foundations in modern houses are manifesting less problems and standing sturdier. However, as older homes already have a whole house one top of the foundation, there is really only reacting to problems and doing all you can to prevent problems. If you own an older home and are concerned about an aging foundation, here are three common problems to look out for.

Uneven Flooring

If you have doors or windows that don’t properly shut or items that roll on what should be a flat floor, then you likely have uneven flooring in your old home. While this can be a warning sign of foundation problems in a home, if you have wood sub-flooring or original hardwood floors, they are prone to warping over time. Still, it merits having the issue checked out.

Slab Leak

It is amazing how a small leak can cause such huge structural problems. If there is a leak in or beneath the foundation of your home, it is an issue that compounds. Not only is the moisture attracting mold and mildew, but it can eventually lead to further foundation shifting. This puts the pipe at risk of completely breaking which turns this into a much more urgent issue.

Cracking Walls

A sure sign of foundations problems in older homes is cracking on exterior or interior walls. You will likely see it more around windows or around chimney flues. Not every crack in a wall, particularly exterior wall cracks, is a huge problem, but it merits investigation.

Do you have foundation issues in your older home? Unfortunately, ignoring the issue won’t make it get any better. If you want help fixing up your foundation problems, contact us today to see what Steady House Foundation Repair can do to help.

Before listing a home in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area, homeowners often make cosmetic improvements and stage their home. But what if a home has foundation cracks? In the eyes of a home buyer, foundation cracks are a lot more serious than faded carpeting or outdated appliances. Even if a home inspector assures a potential buyer that the horizontal or vertical foundation cracks are not of imminent concern, the presence of cracks leaves doubt in the buyer’s mind. In other words, even a few visible signs of foundation problems can scare the daylights out of would-be home buyers. Whether selling a home today or in a few years, consider a few steps for repairing foundation cracks.

Receiving an official diagnosis

In addition to regular foundation inspections by a professional, take time to look for visible signs that you might need professional repair for a slab or pier and beam foundation. Inside the home, take note of cracks in the paint and bowed walls. Outside the home, are there lines that look like stairs?

Budgeting for foundation repairs

Putting money aside to fix a foundation has an immediate return on investment when selling. Not only can a seller command a higher price, but the buyer keeps the good will with skittish buyers who don’t want a fixer-upper. In addition, be aware that a buyer could sue if a seller does not disclose the foundation problems. Cash offers on homes sold “as is” are too often dismal in terms of what a solid home fetches.

Turning to the professionals

A professional knows how to judge whether you have the telltale signs of foundation damage whereas a homeowner typically experiences a bias. Misaligned windows, sloping floors, drywall cracks, uneven floor planking, cracks in the windows and tile are just a few of the signs that may or may not indicate a problem.

Who is to blame when you notice foundational cracks? In some cases, it’s Mother Nature. Soil often expands and contracts. Temperature and moisture plays a role. Homeowners with plumbing leaks sometimes notice the moisture adds stress to the foundation. Poor drainage and building site preparation are other possibilities. No matter what causes the problem, fixing before listing typically translates into a positive home sale transaction.

At Steady House Foundation Repair, we provide one stop shopping for foundation needs. For more information about scheduling a foundation repair estimate or information about foundation lifts, please contact us today. We serve clients in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area.

My House Is Sinking! This is a fixable problem. It may sound like an end of the world issue, but it is fixable. There could be many reasons why your home is sinking, it could be caused from water leaks, the type of soil your home was built on and how well the foundation was prepared during the initial stages of construction.

Common Causes:

Soil:

Soil is easily saturated by water, even if it is underneath your home. Soil is highly absorbent, and can get water from some of the most out of the place sources like a nearby lake, stream, river, or ocean. It can even be caused from heavy rain and floods, which is a common occurrence in Texas.  While all soil is absorbent, a common soil found throughout Texas is called “expansive clay soil.” The constant change in weather causes the clay like soil to rapidly expand and contract, which causes massive shifting around and underneath your foundation.

Water Leaks:

Another common problem is from water leakage. You could have a nearby pipe which brings water throughout your town, or you could have your own underground source. Even sewage pipes which are not directly connected to your home could cause water leaks. It doesn’t take much for the soil to absorb from these sources

Solutions:

There are several solutions to this sinking problem. You can detect an area in your home which has sunk by placing a ball or other round object and see how it rolls. A perfectly level house shouldn’t even allow the ball to move at all. This can be fixed by readjusting the piers which your house was built on. Sometimes, an underground water source can be removed or drained. If your home has a concrete slab foundation, piers can be installed underneath to help further secure your home.

Call us today and get that sinking feeling in your home fixed!

A shift or “settling” is when a home begins to settle or shift in a particular direction. This can be a little alarming for a homeowner to experience but there are some reasons as to why this happens. Some of the reasons can be from a poor construction job, a natural occurrence, or cracks in the home’s foundation. A home with foundation damage is one of the biggest reasons why a home shifts. This is why you should have your home inspected for foundation damage if you notice a shift happen out of nowhere. Let’s look further into the signs of shifting and foundation damage.

Signs of shifting

Here’s a shortlist of the signs that your home is shifting.

• Damaged or burst water pipes
• Slanted and uneven floors
• Doors and windows don’t open properly

Floors going from being nice and level to being uneven is an obvious sign that shifting is occurring. Other issues like windows being difficult to open or burst pipes can have other causes but they are common with shifting.

What causes foundation damage

Here are some causes of foundation damage.

• Leaking pipes
• Soil becoming moister
• An improper construction job on the property like a basement job
• Transpiration
• An earthquake or flood

These issues can cause the foundation damage that causes your home to shift. A lot of these can be a little hard to tell right away so it’s best to contact a professional if you think you have foundation damage.

Conclusion

A shift or settling is when your home basically starts to move out of position. The obvious signs of this are uneven floors and busted pipes. A major cause of shifting is foundation damage. Foundation damage can occur from things like earthquakes or really poor construction jobs. If you think that your home is shifting from foundation damage then check us out here for more information.

As a homeowner, you know that it’s your job to keep your home in good condition and take care of all necessary repairs. But very few homeowners get regular foundation inspections. It’s easy to think of the foundation as something solid that cannot change. However, this is only true when the ground under the foundation doesn’t change. If you are on expansive clay-rich soil or if your region is experiencing unusually dry or wet weather, your foundation may shift unexpectedly. It’s important for homeowners to be able to identify the early signs of a foundation problem, including foundation cracks, so that repairs can be effected before the foundation fracture becomes extensive or starts to damage the rest of the house.

Foundations Crack Before They Break

Before a foundation breaks completely, it starts to crack. If you catch it at the cracking phase, you can save your home with early preventative measures and repairs. The best way to do this is to watch for cracks that indicate foundation issues. For most homes, these can be spotted along the base of the house, usually behind low flower beds if the grass doesn’t go up to the edge of the house. For homes with basements, foundation issues are often spotted as cracks in the walls that can get quite large. Let’s take a look at the types of cracks to look out for both outside and in basements.

1) Vertical Foundation Cracks

Vertical cracks are the most common type of foundation crack and look exactly as you’d expect them to. This can be one slowly widening crack or a spider web of vertical fractures that are crumbling apart. The nature of the vertical crack depends on how the soil is shifting under your home and can be quite complex. However, vertical cracks are most likely when one section of the home is pushed up away from the rest or when one half horizontally away from the other creating a fissure. Diagonal cracks that are mostly vertical are considered vertical cracks.

2) Horizontal Foundation Cracks

Horizontal cracks are the result of a different kind of soil shifting. If your foundation is buried in several different layers of soil, one layer expanding or shifting more than the others can cause stress to hit or shear your foundation horizontally. Several horizontal cracks in a stack are indications of soil pushing in after expanding while a single crack is more likely to be shifting and shearing force pulling the lower part of your foundation away from the upper part. Horizontal cracks are sometimes hard to catch if you don’t have a basement and the crack is below your yard soil line.

3) Stair Foundation Horizontal Cracks

For home where the foundation is lined with bricks or a diagonal crack is at an even 45-degree angle, you may see a stair-step shaped crack in your wall or foundation. This is known a stair crack for obvious reasons and is what happens when brick is pulled apart by foundation problems. You may also see your brick facade up the side of your house crack as well because it is built onto your splitting foundation.

If you see any of these types of crack in your foundation or any any other signs that concern you, please call a foundation repair team right away. Foundation problems start small but can wreck entire houses if they go untreated. For more information about foundation repairs and trouble identification, contact us today.