Wondering what will happen if only minor fixes are done and foundation repair work is put off is a rather common question from homeowners. They frequently battle with the cost of repairs, especially since, a majority of the time, the need for repairs comes up unexpectedly.
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
You are not charged extra to have your refrigerator or vacuum cleaner mended at any time, as it comes at a one-time cost. However, the gradual deterioration of a house’s foundation is a cumulative process that, if left unattended, will only become worse. Your home can usually recover if you ignore a developing foundation issue for a few days, weeks, or even months. However, if you wait a year or more, you risk missing a crucial opportunity to prevent some serious structural issues by delaying much longer.
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 influence nearly all parts of your home, including walls, floors, ceilings, wooden cross beams, upstairs walls, doors, window frames, 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, which is nearly inevitable once foundation slab and basement wall cracks start to show up. If water is allowed to freely seep in, and you utilize your basement as storage or living space, 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.
Another factor is presented by crawl spaces in poor condition. In order to maintain suitable indoor temperatures as humid air is drawn upward from your crawl space, your air conditioner will need to operate longer and harder. 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 the issue is caught early enough, you might be able to resolve it on your own with little help from outside. This method, however, must be used for repairing only the slightest of 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. Chances are, if foundation damage is discovered during a home inspection, no one will be interested in purchasing your house at market price.
Conclusion
As has been previously mentioned, 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.
