pier and beam foundation

Have You Found Long-Term Water Damage?

If you’ve found water damage from a crack in your bathtub or gaps in the shower’s grout, the last thing you might want to do is go looking for more problems. Once you’ve turned off the water and had a plumber come inspect the damage, bring in a foundation inspector. Here’s why:

Have You Found Long-Term Water Damage?

 

1. The core problem might be in the foundation.

All of the water damage might not be from cracks and rotted grout in the first place. Shifting piers and subfloors can knock plumbing askew or put enough pressure on the pipes to cause damage. In even more severe cases, the foundation may have shifted enough to put those cracks in the grout, and simply repairing the bathroom surfaces won’t be enough.

2. Long-standing water damage can start to rot subfloors and piers.

If water has been standing or spreading for a while, you may need to cut out more of the flooring and subflooring than you first thought. A foundation expert can inspect the damage from all angles, including in the crawlspace, to make sure all of the damaged or weakened wood is cleanly cut away the first time. They can also recommend the best way to “air out” the crawlspace that just received an influx of moisture.

3. Tree roots could be behind all of the problems.

Tree roots try to grow wherever they can find moisture. Give the opportunity, that could include your home’s pipes and up into the drains and fixtures. If roots are crawling up your home’s drains, they could just as easily be making your foundation walls crumble or knocking aside the piers.

Calling a foundation inspector can help give you peace of mind or let you catch the damage before it grows and causes another emergency. Contact Steady House Foundation to schedule an appointment today.

Three Testable Ways Your Pier and Beam Foundation Might Not Be Level

Whether you’re looking for a new home to buy or you’re preparing for some hardcore spring cleaning, the integrity of the foundation. When you have a pier and beam foundation, it’s important to check for problems in the subflooring and the floor’s levelness to catch problems early on. Here are three ways to do it.

Three Testable Ways Your Pier and Beam Foundation Might Not Be Level

1. Look for a gradual incline across the length of the house.

It’s hard to notice a whole house tilt by yourself. If your home is built on a hill, or there’s been a lot of erosion in the last few months, those are signs that shifting is a risk. If the tilt is severe or growing, you might be able to feel it as you walk down a straight hallway. But the best way to discover a tilt across a whole house’s foundation is to call an inspector. They can often confirm a tilt down to the degree as part of a free estimate for repairs.

2. Check rooms from corner to corner.

It’s easier to check individual rooms for a tilt. You may have heard of the marble test, where you place a marble in different sections of the floor and see if it rolls. You can also use a level or other DIY tests. If just one room is at a tilt, that means there’s uneven stress on the foundation, and a more official test can isolate the problems.

3. Look for vertical and horizontal warps.

Even if one corner of the room isn’t higher than the other, there may be warps and warbles across the space. That’s because most rooms are big enough to have several piers and beams under the floors. If one of them settles or starts to crack, you might be able to feel or see valleys or waves in the flooring.

If you want to get your foundation tested so you know for sure, go to Steady House Foundation Repair here.