A lot of people lose their homes each year due to structural damage to the foundation. On that note, we’ve decided to consult with a pro, and have them help us understand why does that happen and is there anything we can do to fix or prevent the issues. Here’s what we’ve learned.
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Water
Water is the number one culprit when it comes to damaged house foundations. It doesn’t matter if you live in an area where it rains often and heavy or if you spend way too much time with a hose in your hand watering the lawn; either way, the excess water is going to do the damage.
When it comes to water damage prevention, unless you’re doing it by overwatering the lawn – there isn’t much you can do about it other than inspect the foundation regularly and give Foundation Repair Alafaya FL a call if you notice that the damage has been done.
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Plumbing Mishaps
We guess you could call this a water issue, too, but this is a separate problem. Leaking pipes are your worst enemy. They’ll destroy everything. You know how walls get in a matter of days once the pipe bursts, so you can imagine just how much damage it can do to your foundation if it goes undetected for a long time.
Unfortunately, these things aren’t easy to catch unless it happens somewhere obvious. Your best bet would be to call the plumbers to fix the piping and then call up a foundation repair service to handle the rest of the business.
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Bad Drainage
Once again, we have a water-related issue. Most houses without proper drainage suffer from some kind of foundational damage sooner or later. Even the little things, like not having a gutter or having a badly installed downspout, can lead to an oversaturated, overwatered soil, which would then lead to foundational damage.
As you could imagine, an easy fix would be to install a proper drainage system, especially if you live somewhere rainy. If not, you’re definitely going to have to give a foundation repairman a call.
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Roots
If you have a large tree near the house – you might want to reconsider taking it out or possible moving it. Not only can large, tall trees ruin your roof, but the root system can disturb the foundation of the house. Now, the root itself is not going to cause an issue. It is not going to move the foundation out of its place. However, a large root system may affect the surrounding soil, which could then lead to problems with the foundation.
As we’ve said, the best way to stop this from happening is either by removing or relocating the tree, but also, you could just have a regular root inspection, or just water the area around the tree often enough so that the roots don’t have to spread too wide.
Conclusion
There you have it. Those are four things that are most likely to cause damage to the foundation of the house. Naturally, these aren’t the only ones, but they are the ones that occur most commonly, so be aware of them.