If there are problems with the foundation of your home, it is essential that they are repaired. If they are not repaired, it will result in further damage that may not be able to be repaired eventually. It can also lead a building to become unsafe at some point if problems are not addressed.
The main step is to decide whether to do it yourself or to hire it done professionally. Some repairs can be done on your own, while others need experts. It might be a good idea to get a contractor's opinion to help you make this decision.
You will need to determine whether your home is built on a crawl space or a slab, which affects how you go about repairs. Slab and basement type construction is also common.
Problems can be seen in things like cracks in walls, leaning chimneys, sagging floors, doors or windows that stick or bowing walls in basements. These are symptoms, but may not be where the actual problem is.
If your exterior walls are cracked, or exterior doors are sticking, you may have a serious problem and will need professional help unless you are very skilled. If there are sheetrock cracks on inside walls, floors sagging, or inside doors sticking, you may be able to do these repairs on your own.
Fixing the foundation is more than just filling in a crack in a wall. That treats the symptom but does not fix the cause, and will get worse if the real problem is not addressed.
To do most repairs you will need things like hydraulic jacks that can handle between six and 12 tons. You will need some jack posts, a crowbar and possibly a sledgehammer. With these, you can do some minor lifting and effect repairs. Be sure to get some professional estimates and advice because it is easy to over-lift a floor and that can cause more damage.
Need your foundation repaired? Contact the team at Now Dry today, from cracked foundation repairs to basement waterproofing systems to drain tile installation, we can help.
