What Will Happen If I Don’t Get My Foundation Fixed?

What Will Happen If I Don’t Get My Foundation Fixed?

Homeowners often wonder about the consequences of postponing foundation repair work and opting for only minor fixes. The unexpected need for repairs can be a financial challenge, as the costs are often a concern.

Owning a house may sometimes require decisions about which tasks are more important and practical financially than others. When given the option of a vacation or foundation repair, the vacation seems far more intriguing. Have you ever thought about the potential consequences of delaying foundation repair, if even for a year? Continue reading below to learn more about the risks with a decision like this. 

Continuously Escalating Repair Costs

Repairing your refrigerator or vacuum cleaner typically involves a one-time cost with no additional charges. In contrast, the gradual deterioration of a house’s foundation is a cumulative process that worsens if neglected. While your home may withstand a developing foundation issue for a few days, weeks, or even months, waiting a year or more increases the risk of missing a crucial opportunity to prevent severe structural issues by further delaying repairs.

In cases like these, you will certainly pay extra for repairs. The expenses of repair may be surprisingly inexpensive if you address a growing foundation issue as soon as you see it. This means that learning about the warning signs and symptoms early on can be very beneficial for both your home and your pocketbook.

Spreading Structural Damage

Just like how they sound, foundations are fundamental. A poor foundation causes the building it was intended to support undue stress and strain. An unstable foundation can impact all aspects of your home, including walls, floors, ceilings, beams, doors, windows, and even attached garages. It’s impossible to predict how widespread the structural damage will be if structural decay is allowed to go unchecked.

Water Damage

Wooden structural elements of a house are particularly susceptible to water damage. This is nearly inevitable once foundation slab and basement wall cracks start to show up. If water is allowed to freely seep in, whatever you put there may be at risk of water damage. Sometimes, a foundation’s crumbling and cracking alone can allow rainwater to seep in. Of course, the longer this happens, the more likely it is that the affected area will sustain serious water damage.

Foundation Sinking/Settling

One of the first things that could naturally occur to your home is foundation settling and/or sinking. This is because foundations may shift with time, becoming uneven and sinking into the earth. Your flooring can become unlevel, and door frames can become misaligned. Foundation repair services like those from Pierman Foundation Repair are required if you begin to see symptoms like these throughout your home.

Plumbing Problems

Home plumbing is more susceptible to becoming damaged by problems with the foundation. Plumbing pipes may become entangled in the home’s foundation when it comes to pier and beam homes. Plumbing problems can develop beneath slab foundations as well, potentially going undiscovered for a long time. The shifting of a house due to foundation problems might lead to plumbing lines breaking. Water damage to a property from plumbing leaks or fractures may be disastrous.

Insect / Rodent Infestations

Insects and rodents might enter your home via the foundation once it begins to deteriorate. This is especially true for pier and beam foundations with crawl spaces in particular. Pest infestations are a serious problem that can pose health risks for your family. The fact that these organisms reproduce and create contaminated waste swiftly makes them a dangerous problem found underneath your home.

Consequently, if you don’t resolve the problem quickly, a significant infestation might result, severely damaging the structural materials of your home. Keep in mind that the primary methods by which rodents and other pests enter your home still exist, even after hiring an exterminator!

Increased Utility Bills

A foundation harmed by hydrostatic pressure or expansive clay soils can transfer excess moisture upward into the living areas above, causing cracks, crevices, warps, and abrupt separations to appear in structural features. While most homes are built to be at least somewhat airtight, the addition of insulation and weather stripping can close any remaining gaps. However, foundation settling, sinking, or other results of damage can cause misalignment that simply opens those gaps back up or create new ones. 

Poorly maintained crawl spaces introduce an additional factor. To maintain appropriate indoor temperatures, your air conditioner will need to work longer and harder, especially as humid air is drawn upward from the crawl space. The cost of utilities can go up significantly as a result.

Lost Opportunities For Do-It-Yourself Solutions

Many times, excess water in the soil around your home is the cause of foundation deterioration. If you identify the issue early, you can likely resolve it on your own with minimal external assistance. However, reserve this method for addressing only minor problems. No foundation problems that have already begun to affect your home’s structure can be easily remediated with DIY repairs, and call for professional intervention.

A Decline In Property Value

Before your sale is finalized, a third-party home inspection can reveal the existence of such problems. If your foundation has begun to crumble, it might cost the new owner several thousand dollars to repair it.
If a home inspection reveals foundation damage, potential buyers are unlikely to show interest in purchasing your house at market price.

Conclusion

Your foundation carries a huge weight of responsibility when it comes to your home (pun intended!). This means that any problems affecting it can cause a whole array of even further damage consequences. Putting off foundation repair is a process that only grows more damaging with time, and more costly! 

Contact Pierman Foundation Repair today at (580) 453-0330 to schedule an evaluation of your home foundation. We will discuss the options available to you for repairs as well as which one is the best fit for you. We will work to restore your home’s safety and integrity. Visit our website to learn more about our services and our dedication to quality outcomes.