Rain can do more damage to our homes than we think. In fact, according to The American Society of Home Inspectors, “A 1-inch rain fall event will generate nearly 1,000 gallons of water from a typical 1,600 square foot roof.” Rainwater near your foundation may not seem like an urgent manner, but it is. If this water touches your foundation, you’ll have a huge problem on your hands, including a wet basement. Foundation work isn’t exactly a DIY job, either; it takes a team of professionals to correct most problems.
Additionally, foundation work isn’t exactly a DIY job; it takes a team of people to correct severe problems. That’s why we want to highlight the foundation damage that requires an expert.
Bowing and/or Buckling Foundation Walls
This happens when water presses against your basement walls. The location of the foundation as well as the weather greatly affect your foundation walls’ strength.
Inward movement in your basement walls may also happen depending on your soil and the amount of moisture it contains. The moister it is, the heavier it is, causing your foundation to shift. Clay soils, for example, can do a lot of damage because they dramatically expand and contract.
If you just noticed this, it’s likely that this serious issue has been present for a while. Call the experts before the structural damage worsens; the professionals can effortlessly add support to your walls.
We use carbon fiber supports, which are easy to install and won’t change your walls’ appearance. They’re less bulky than beams yet they offer the same strength as steel. In extreme cases, we can completely rebuild block walls.
Concrete Honeycombing
Honeycomb may simply seem like a cosmetic issue, but it can cause structural problems. If you have weak concrete, you’re more likely to experience this issue. These small honeycomb-like voids let water into the foundation, speeding up rust and corrosion. Have trained professionals examine your basement, especially if the cracks look like they’re running deep in the concrete.
You’ll usually see honeycombs on beams, columns, footings, walls, and slabs. To remedy your honeycomb issue, your local company will treat it as if it were a foundation crack. The experts can fix it directly from the interior by injecting an epoxy, or they can also dig into the section and seal it from your home’s exterior.
Essentially, honeycombing isn’t surface level, and if untreated, it can cause mold and much bigger issues.
Horizontal Cracks
While there are other types of cracks (diagonal and vertical), horizontal (or sideways) cracks are the most serious. Unlike vertical cracks, horizontal cracks don’t necessarily indicate foundation settlement – they usually indicate excessive water pressure. There are actually a variety of causes, but again, unbalanced soil pressure typically causes cracks in your concrete block foundation walls.
You’ll need your local experts to repair these as soon as they can. This is because if you leave these cracks, over time, they can leak or bow. Plus, eventually, you could experience complete foundation failure.
Typically, to resolve this issue, your local company will need to reinforce the walls into their original positions with anchors. Rather than sealing it, they will reposition the walls to keep water out of the cracks and strengthen your foundation. Professionals can easily keep your foundation from collapsing with permanent, effective repairs, so don’t hesitate to give them a call if you find any cracks.
Foundation Settlement/Failure
Also known as foundation settlement, this happens when your home’s foundation begins to deteriorate. There are numerous factors that lead to failure, but the bottom line is, there is either too much moisture or not enough of it in your soil. If your house looks as if it’s sinking, or if it looks like blocks or bricks are shifting, you need to call in the professionals to take care of the unstable soil.
Because of changes in soil composition, foundation always settles in time. Once foundations settle, they never get better – they only get worse. That’s why you’ll need to take action to repair your sinking foundation as soon as possible. To fix foundation failure, you can request a foundation piering service. Trained experts will remove the soil around your foundation, raise the foundation back up onto a series of steel pipes, and secure it there with jacks, creating a more stable home. Digging up the soil and adding supports sounds simple, but to save you time and money, you should leave it to the experienced technicians. When our Chicago area basement waterproofing team comes across a home with a sinking foundation, we install strong carbon fiber reinforcement straps. This is a cost-effective solution that requires little maintenance and can be completed in a day’s time.
If you see signs of failure, don’t wait to seek help or ignore them completely. Foundation failure has a huge impact on your home’s value!
Leaking Pipes
If you see mold, stains, or water dripping down the walls, those are signs that you have a pipe penetration related problem. People often overlook leaking pipes, but they’re a very common cause of foundation problems.
This means that water is seeping beneath your home and the pipe penetrations can’t hold it back. Fixing a leaking pipe ensures you’ll avoid foundation complications. It’s usually a quick fix; an epoxy injection creates a seal around the pipe, unlike caulk or cement. However, the strongest solution is the polyurethane injection, which quickly hardens and results in a watertight seal.
It’s important to have the professionals look at (and around) your pipes, so they can implement an effective solution.
Unfortunately, caulk alone isn’t going to solve these foundation problems. Keep water out for good with a solid foundation and help from the experts. If you need foundation repair or basement waterproofing in the Chicago area, call The Real Seal. We understand that each foundation is different, and our licensed and insured staff will provide the best solution for your home.
We complete projects quickly and meticulously, ensuring your fullest satisfaction. Additionally, every project completed by The Real Seal includes a lifetime warranty. We believe our work will last, and if it doesn’t, we’ll make repairs at no cost to you. Schedule an appointment today.
