Now that the winter season is over, it’s time to take stock of your home and prepare it for spring. You can do spring cleaning, take a walk around the perimeter of your home and notice any changes, but you can also check your basement or crawl space for foundation cracks. This step may be the most important in your spring home preparation because it could save you from crawl space or basement water damage or even from major foundation damage that will cost a lot of time and money to replace.
Types of Foundation Cracks
Let’s say that you’ve spotted a crack in the foundation of your home, and your heart is beating a little faster because this might cost a lot of money you may not have. First, take a deep breath! Foundation cracks do not always spell trouble. Some foundation cracks are merely due to the normal settling that a foundation does after initial construction. These are usually no larger than the width of the edge of a penny and will not continue to widen or grow. However, there are certain foundation cracks, like ones that are wide, extending from the top to the bottom of the wall, or continue to grow, which can spell trouble for your foundation. There’s also a simple way to monitor these types of foundation cracks.
How to Monitor Foundation Cracks
All you need is a roll of masking or painters tape, a pencil, a ruler, and patience. Put a piece of tape on either side of the crack and use the ruler to draw a line in the same spot on both (across). Now all you need to do is check back regularly and see if the lines have moved. If they have moved, there may be a bigger problem. The best course of action is to call a certified professional, like Reliable Waterproofing & Masonry, to have the problem looked at. Foundation cracks are nothing to wait on–they can make your home unsafe if left unchecked!
Why Check Before Spring?
Even under the best of circumstances, foundation cracks should not be ignored. These cracks can cause unsafe conditions in your home, even leading to the eventual collapse of the foundation. While this is a disaster scenario, it could happen if foundation cracks are ignored. Other more likely issues that come with foundation cracks are water seeping in through the cracks, insect problems, and unsightly walls.
Foundation Crack Solutions
Reliable Waterproofing & Masonry uses underpinning products like helical piers and steel push piers. These will help get your foundation back to its original level and structurally sound again. These piers are pushed into the ground through the unstable, shifting soil until they reach a solid soil layer. Then the entire structure is lifted onto these piers. In some cases, as with bowing walls, carbon fiber repair, a less invasive option, can be used to repair inside the home. This can be easily painted over and will be almost invisible.
Our foundation repair products are manufactured by Earth Contact Products, a respected leader in the industry. We have over 30 years of experience in masonry, waterproofing and foundation repair at Reliable Waterproofing & Masonry. With our experience and ECP’s products, you can be assured that your foundation repair will last for many years to come. Contact us for more information and to get started on foundation crack repair in your Virginia home.