What To Do When Your Foundation Leaks
What’s more annoying to deal with than a foundation leak? Not only are these leaks difficult for untrained professionals to identify, but let them go too long, and you’ll find that you’ll have to clean up more than just a bit of water in your basement.
What, though, does the foundation repair process look like, and what solutions do you have on the table?
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The Causes Behind Foundation Leaks
What causes your foundation to crack and leak? Contrary to popular thought, it’s not just one big event that’ll push your foundation over the edge. Instead, foundation repair experts point to persistent hydrostatic pressure, as brought on by multiple small events, as the key cause behind foundation leaks.
What causes hydrostatic pressure to dig into your foundation? The most common generators include:
- Heavy rain
- Shifting soil
- Your foundation’s response to the weather
That said, other natural influences can cause your foundation to shift and crack. If you have any large trees or bushes near your perimeter, for example, their invasive root systems could start breaking through minor faults in your foundation.
Signs to Look Out for
At first glance, a foundation leak looks a lot like a basement leak. Where a basement leak won’t necessarily compromise the structural integrity of your home, however, a foundation leak will. Professional contractors will be able to help you determine the difference between a foundation leak and a basement leaking during a free inspection. If you want to keep an eye out for yourself, you’ll want to watch for the following:
- Bowing walls
- Shifting floors
- Gaps at the joints of your foundation
- Sticking doors
- Foggy windows
- Water-damaged belongings or furniture
- Mold
The symptoms listed above are the signs of a leak that’ll appear inside of your home. If you let a leak go too long, it’ll make itself known in other ways. Specifically, foundation leaks have the potential to ruin your home’s exterior. Some leakage signs that may appear outside of your home include:
- Vertical cracks in your walls
- A cracked chimney
- Cracks running horizontally across your foundation
- Sinking
How to Fix a Foundation Leak
Many of the myths circulating around foundation repair would have homeowners believe that the practice is too expensive to consider, even if your home does start leaking. Unfortunately, when homeowners take on this mindset, they put the safety of their homes at risk. Anyone looking to sell a home with a leaking foundation will be able to do so, too, but at a significant loss of market value.
All in all, it’s usually more affordable to reach out to a local foundation repair contractor than it is to let a leak in your foundation go untreated. The good news, too, is that your local contractors will have a number of solutions on hand for you to choose from. Some of the most common foundation repair solutions include:
- Piering
- Underpinning
- Leveling and slabjacking
- Sealing
- Subfloor drainage
The Benefit of Professional Guidance
If you’re still worried about saving money on home repairs, you might think it more fiscally wise to try and tackle a foundation leak on your own time. After all, with DIY culture as popular as ever, who doesn’t have a tool kit at the ready?
If you try to fix a foundation leak without the appropriate qualifications, however, you risk both the security of your home and your wallet. An untrained eye can actually make a foundation leak much worse. When you do have to call a professional for repairs, too, that professional will have to charge you for the removal of your initial repair efforts and then the foundation solution you want to install.
All in all, if you’re looking to protect your home and your savings, reach out to a professional foundation repair contractor as soon as you suspect a leak. It’s better to protect your home now than to deal with the consequences later.
Author: Iris
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