Your home is where you’re likely to spend a large amount of your time day-to-day, so taking care of it is naturally going to be something that is very important to you. Sometimes this is easy; the problems that arise are easy to notice and deal with. However, sometimes these problems can go unnoticed until it’s too late.
The foundation of your home is the very base it all sits on, so it’s best to keep a watchful eye and apply any maintenance as soon as you notice something wrong. Keeping an eye out for the following signs may save you a big headache further down the line.
Foundation Cracks
A crack in the foundation can come in two main forms: vertical and horizontal. Vertical cracks tend to be the more common of the two, while horizontal cracks are often more serious and may require immediate action. A variety of factors can cause foundations to cracks, and their severity can range massively. Regardless, though some are more serious than others, all are indicative of an issue and should be dealt with.
You can try to deal with them yourself; however, you may cause more damage with limited experience. Luckily, there are services that can tackle these cracks for you and save your house from further damage down the road. Helitech, for example, features advice and services to assist in fixing a foundation crack, offering plenty of options to solve the problem and even a free inspection.
Uneven Floors
This one might be a little harder to spot than a foundation crack as it can sometimes feel a little bit more subjective. It can be easy to spot if the slope is severe, but if not, a better bet might be checking if the doors are jamming or having trouble fitting as neatly into their frames. Signs like this could be another indication of whether or not the issue is serious.
Slopes in the floor aren’t always serious indications of foundation problems, however, and there are ways of distinguishing those apart from harmless slopes. If you’re unsure about whether or not a slope is harmless, a professional opinion may be warranted.
Cracks in the Walls
It’s not just the foundation to keep an eye on; the walls can also develop major fractures that are a telltale sign not all is well. As with the foundations, the direction of the crack can be telling, with vertical cracks perhaps being less serious indications of settling while horizontal cracks are often seen as more dangerous and pressing.
As with fixing a foundation crack, cracks in the wall are best dealt with in their early stages, as the cracks can threaten to compromise the structural integrity of the building altogether. Again, there are several methods and guides to help you deal with these problems on your own, given the right tools. However, depending on the severity of the issue and your own experience with dealing with these types of problems, it may be best to contact a professional and arrange for them to fix the issue for you.
