Warning! Is Your Indiana Home In Need of Foundation Repairs?

If you’re an Indiana homeowner, your home’s foundation is one of the most important parts of your property to protect and repair as soon as possible if it needs attention. Foundation problems can be difficult to detect without expert help, so it’s important to know what to look out for if you think your home may be in need of repairs. Knowing about signs of damage in advance can save you a lot of headache and expense down the road, so here are the most common warning signs that your Indiana home’s foundation needs repairing or replacing.

Our team offers foundation repair Bloomington to make sure your Indiana home is in tip top shape. Visit our website or give us a call to learn more.

What is Your Foundation?

Foundations are one of a home’s most crucial components, yet one that is typically overlooked. No matter how beautiful your house may be on the outside, cracks in your foundation will eventually weaken your entire structure and could cost you hundreds, or even thousands, to repair. To keep your home standing strong for years to come, monitor signs of problems with your foundation and find out how you can prevent or solve them with professional help.

Signs Your Home is Suffering From a Bad Foundation

The following issues may signal a foundation problem in your home: Cracks on your walls or in your ceiling, doors that stick and have to be forced open and closed, floors that are no longer level, doors that don’t line up with their frames, exterior cracks in brick or stone where foundation meets structure. These are just some of many signs there could be problems with your home’s foundation.

It is also worth noting that your basement or crawl space may be wet, which could be a sign that you have water leaking into your home’s foundation. You should always pay attention to these signs, as they can spell trouble for your home in both short and long-term.

If you notice any signs that your home’s foundation may be damaged, it is important to have a professional engineer come in and conduct an inspection. Many times they can find issues and make small repairs before significant damage occurs to your home. It is well worth every penny to have peace of mind that your home isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

What Clay Soil Does to Foundations

Foundations are built to hold up a structure, and when there’s something off with them, things can crumble. Clay soil is one of the biggest culprits for foundation problems because it expands and contracts in accordance with temperature changes – causing cracks or shifts in your home’s foundation. If you live in an area where wet clay soil is common, make sure you know how to spot signs your house needs repairs or may be headed for trouble. It may save you from foundation troubles later on.

Clay soils have a higher capacity for volume changes than other types of soil. What’s more, they also tend to expand and contract more over time, which can compromise concrete and masonry foundations and create fractures in load-bearing walls.

When clay soil becomes saturated from rain or groundwater, it acts like it’s liquid (because water will move anywhere it finds an opening). This excess moisture then freezes during cold weather or evaporates during warmer months – expanding or contracting your foundation depending on temperature fluctuations. Over time, these expansions and contractions can lead to cracks that damage your foundation and make your house look older than it really is.

Clay soil is not just hard to build on, it can also be one of your biggest problems when it comes to foundation repair. Clay can shift and settle, which can cause cracks in both new and old foundations. It can also fill in gaps between retaining walls and your home’s foundation over time. This may take years to occur, but if you do not address foundation issues as soon as they arise, you may find yourself in need of a more expensive solution later down the road.

The Foundation Repair Process

The process of correcting foundation issues can seem a bit overwhelming at first. However, in order to have an informed conversation with your engineer or contractor, it’s important to have a basic understanding of how these repairs are done. First, if you believe your home is in need of foundation repairs (or even if you aren’t sure), contact an engineer or contractor for further inspection and diagnosis. After diagnosis and design, digging begins.

Digging involves removing dirt from around your home’s foundation and replacing it with concrete piers. There are three main types of piers: helical (also called screw or pin), bent, and straight. Helical piers go into deeper soil areas (or are placed in a diagonal pattern as an alternative method). Bent piers can be used for repairing foundations on sites where helical pier installation is difficult or not allowed.

How Long Does it Take to Repair a Foundation?

That depends on a number of factors, but as a general rule, foundation problems don’t have time to be ignored. Even minor problems can get worse if they aren’t addressed quickly. Signs your home may need foundation repairs include cracks in walls or ceilings, a bowing floor or tilting chimney, and creaking floors. If you notice any of these symptoms it is best to consult an expert right away before things get any worse.

When you’ve scheduled the repair process, you can expect it to take one to three days. It all depends on what type of damage has been done and how quickly a contractor is able to respond. It’s not uncommon for foundation cracks or other problems in homes built on clay soil to worsen over time if they are left unchecked.

It’s never too early to start looking into foundation repair services in your area. It’s much better to address problems while they are still small and relatively easy to fix than to wait until things get worse and more expensive. So if you notice any signs that foundation repairs may be needed in your home, don’t wait!

Home advisor states that the average cost to repair a foundation is between $2,136 and $7,431. That’s on average which means it can go lower, but also can go much higher! If you are able to repair foundation issues early on you can drastically reduce this expense. This can be huge if your home has serious structural problems.