Have Fresh Water and Sewer Lines Tested
One major cause of foundation damage is excessive moisture from broken or leaking water/sewer lines. Water saturated soil will not support most foundations indefinitely unless the foundation is secured to the bedrock.Have a plumber do a static test on your lines every five years.
Much water damage goes unnoticed because the moist soil may be out of sight. Don’t wait for problems to develop!
Begin a Scheduled Water Program
Though too much water is dangerous, so is too little, especially in dry regions of the country. Moisten soil around the foundation during dry times with a soaker hose or sprinkler system. Do this when you are watering the lawn or if you notice soil pulling away from the foundation.
Install Positive Drainage
Oversaturation can occur if excess water is not channeled away from all sides of your home.Installation of devices such as debris-resistant gutters and French drains will go a long way towards protecting your biggest investment...your home.
Possible Future Problems Resulting from Delaying Repair
Irreversible Damage
Even with warning signs evident, it’s perfectly natural to put off foundation repair and hope the problems go away. They won’t. Left unattended, minor fixable problems almost always get worse leading to irreversible damage to the slab or beams.
High Repair Costs
Not only does a broken slab or beam incur high repair costs, but so does the accompanying cosmetic work. Often, your house will have suffered extensive exterior and interior injury as a result of a damaged foundation. This only adds to the cost of restoring your home to its old self.
What to Look for in a Contractor
Lengthy Track Record
Look for longevity in business through references, customer testimonials, their web site, and the Better Business Bureau.It must be said that there are some unscrupulous foundation repair contractors that do substandard work; collect your money; then change their name and/or location to avoid litigation. Unfortunate, but true.Confirm a real address, not a PO box. Also, size matters. A contractor should be large enough to employ a real person to answer the phone.
Clean Record with the BBB
Check for length of membership and complaints. No company can be in business for a long time without some complaints, but compare the number of complaints with the total number of customers served.
