Putting off needed house foundation repair in Dayton, Ohio, can allow your home to sink and settle, and will also risk secondary damage including wood rot and mold. A damaged foundation can also affect your property’s value and detract from its appearance and curb appeal!
If you’re a homeowner, it’s vital that you understand signs of potential foundation damage including cracks along foundation concrete, cracked interior and exterior walls, and buckled floors, and when those cracks are normal versus when it’s time to call a foundation repair pro. To ensure your home is in good condition and resting on a solid foundation, note some simple yet vital info on signs of damage and when to call a foundation repair company.
Concrete Cracks and House Foundation Repair in Dayton
It’s actually not unusual for concrete to suffer minor hairline cracks and especially within the first year or two of installation and pouring. Concrete takes several months to set and cure completely and will settle and contract during this time, which often leads to small cracks along its surface.
While hairline cracks are often normal, larger cracks indicate it’s time for foundation repair! As concrete absorbs water, that moisture freezes and expands and then pushes on cement binders in the concrete, creating cracks, chips, and other damage.
Cement binders also break down when exposed to various chemicals including snow clearing salt and lawn fertilizers, or when chemicals in the concrete mix leech into those binders. This damage leads to cracks and spalling along concrete surfaces, which should be patched as soon as possible.
To know if cracks in concrete are dangerous, note if they’re deep enough for you to insert a coin into them; if not, the crack is probably normal and not worrisome. Also, note the direction of the crack; a zigzag pattern often indicates damage, while small horizontal cracks are often normal.
Other Signs It’s Time for Dayton Home Foundation Repair
While cracks along foundation concrete are a common sign that it’s time to call a foundation repair company in Dayton, they’re not the only sign homeowners should be aware of! Cracks along interior and exterior walls and ceiling tiles are also common when a home shifts and settles on a weak, unstable foundation.
Damaged flooring can also signal needed foundation repair. As a home settles, it pulls on its own subflooring, weakening those boards. You might feel a spongy or springy feeling underfoot or notice floor tiles coming away from the grout between them. Tiles and hardwood planks popping up along their edges can also mean a weak foundation and damaged subflooring!
Foundation cracks let moisture into a home, which leads to wood rot, musty smells, trapped humidity, and mold growth. If you notice any of these issues in your home, don’t assume they’re natural due to the home’s age or that all basements smell musty, but schedule a foundation inspection as quickly as possible instead!
Can a House Foundation Be Repaired?
While no homeowner wants to consider if their home is resting on a bad foundation, the good news is that most foundation damage can be repaired, and it’s not always as costly as you might assume! Smaller cracks might be filled in with specialty injections that harden and fill in those gaps. This process is fast and very affordable, usually just a few hundred dollars per visit, but it does need repeating every five to ten years.
Steel or helical pin insertion also offer support for severely damaged foundations. These pins are inserted into the ground next to the damaged area; brackets at the top of the pin are then attached to the foundation, boosting it into place and offering added support. Pins are often $500 to over $1000 each, so your total costs will depend on how many pins are needed for your property’s foundation.
House leveling offers support for sunken homes. A specialty slurry is injected underneath the damaged foundation, and hydraulic equipment lifts the structure into place. That slurry dries and hardens, keeping the house level and keeping the foundation supported and secure. House leveling can range from $3000 to $10,000 or more, depending on the extent of damage and if other service is needed to support the foundation, such as steel pins.
Is It Safe to Live in a House With Foundation Issues?
A home rarely outright collapses due to foundation issues, but this doesn’t mean you should just overlook needed repairs! One vital consideration is that cracks, chips, spalling, wood rot, and mold growth all get worse the longer they’re ignored, so your eventual repairs get more expensive the longer you put them off.
While the house itself might not collapse, individual walls and ceiling tiles can crack, crumble, and collapse from foundation issues and resultant wood rot. Damage to basement walls and load-bearing walls is especially costly; if a basement wall was to crumble, this can expose your home to outside elements. When a load-bearing wall collapses, the home’s framing continues to crack and weaken, leading to even more extensive damage.
Mold due to trapped humidity and moisture is also very unhealthy for your home’s occupants and is sometimes linked to breathing disorders, headaches, and sinus issues, among other concerns. Mold also becomes more difficult to clean the longer it’s allowed to grow and spread, and can damage wood framing, drywall, carpet padding, and other building materials.
Foundation damage can also lower property values, as said. Lower property values make it more difficult to obtain home equity loans and lines of credit, and to sell your home when you’re ready to move! Timely foundation repair ensures the house is in good condition and protects its overall value.
Keep all these points in mind if you notice cracks or other signs of needed house foundation repair in Dayton, Ohio. Investing in timely fixes keeps that damage from getting worse and protects your property values. To find out more, visit daytonfoundationrepairexperts.com or call a foundation repair contractor near you when you notice cracks, dampness, or mold in your home.
