A homeowner should never avoid scheduling needed house foundation repair in Champaign, IL. The longer you ignore concrete cracks, sinking, and other damage, the more extensive it gets and the costlier your eventual repair bills!
Unfortunately, many homeowners put off needed Champaign foundation repair simply because they don’t realize their home’s foundation is damaged. Homeowners might assume that cracks along with exterior concrete or other apparent signs of damage are all they need to look out for when it comes to a foundation’s condition.
Regular foundation inspections are an excellent choice for ensuring your property is in good repair. However, you might also note some signs that it’s probably time to schedule house foundation repair in Champaign so that this damage doesn’t get worse and is more costly!
Are Wall Cracks A Sign Of Needed Foundation Repair In Champaign?
First, note that stucco or plaster walls might tend to crack over time simply as the material absorbs moisture and dries out, and then expands and shrinks throughout this cycle. Poor-quality drywall installation can also allow panels to settle or pull away from the wall studs behind them, leading to cracks.
However, a weak foundation also allows a home to shift and settle. As it does, it is no longer level and even. This unevenness pulls on interior and exterior building materials and surfaces, including drywall. In turn, you might see cracks form along walls and ceilings.
As drywall gets pulled out of position, gaps might form in room corners where drywall panels should meet. You might also see drywall nails, baseboards, and crown molding pop or pull away from the wall framing or notice baseboards and crown molding that look uneven or not appropriately aligned in room corners.
Damaged Floors Might Indicate Needed Foundation Repair
Along with walls and ceilings, you don’t want to overlook damaged flooring inside your home! As a house settles on a weak foundation, it will pull on its subflooring as well as tile, carpeting, and hardwood planks.
In turn, you might notice buckled or cracked areas along a floor’s surface or tiles that are suddenly loose and out of alignment. Hardwood planks might pop upward along one end, or gaps might appear between them.
The carpeting might also get threadbare in certain spots, as those sections get pulled away from each other. You might also notice loose areas of carpeting as the subflooring sags or splinters or what feels like carpeting sliding out from under you as you walk across the floor.
Even if you don’t notice flooring coming out of position, you might feel what seems like soft or sagging floorboards underfoot. As floorboards crack and weaken, they can easily sag as you walk over them.
Those damaged floorboards can also squeak, creak, and groan as you walk! Never overlook these issues or assume that the house needs new flooring, but schedule a foundation inspection for your property if you notice any flooring damage inside your house.
Damp Basement? It Might Be Time for Foundation Repair!
Homeowners often assume that basements are damp by nature or might put a dehumidifier in the space to address trapped moisture. While it’s good to invest in a dehumidifier, sump pump, waterproofing, and other such solutions, that dampness might also indicate that it’s time for foundation repair!
Foundation cracks let moisture into a home’s lower levels, and that moisture might then get trapped in the basement. This excess humidity not only makes a basement damp and uncomfortable, but it means even more foundation damage.
Trapped moisture also risks mold growth along walls; this mold can then grow and spread quickly, reaching a home’s first floor and beyond. Excess humidity in the basement also risks damage to anything stored in the space, including household appliances such as a water heater or washing machine.
Rather than simply trying to address this dampness with a dehumidifier or other means, schedule a foundation inspection. Patching up any cracks will keep the foundation strong and avoid secondary damage in the home.
Bowing Basement Walls Need Immediate Foundation Repair
As with a damp space, never assume that basement walls bow inward as this bowing often indicates severe foundation damage! As the home’s basement walls and flooring weaken, they cannot hold up the weight of the house. In turn, those walls might start to bow or bulge inward.
Once basement walls begin to bow or show signs of weakening, it’s vital that you have them reinforced as quickly as possible, as they can outright crumble and collapse. A foundation repair contractor in Champaign will typically add carbon fiber straps to the walls, which help push them back into place and keep them strong and secure.
Along with these straps, a repair contractor might suggest waterproofing those walls and improving soil grading and drainage. These precautions will keep the basement strong and secure, preventing future foundation damage.
Mold, Insects, And Spiked Utilities Can Mean Needed Foundation Repair!
As foundation cracks or chips, it lets moisture into the home, and that moisture can lead to mold growth, as said. If your home doesn’t have trapped humidity along the first floor and the insulation to the home is in good condition, but mold still develops along walls, check for foundation damage.
Insects might also use those cracks and crevices to access the home, especially if they’re drawn to excessive moisture inside. Remember that insects look for a water source and a food source, so don’t simply call an exterminator if your house is overrun with ants and other unwanted pests.
As cracks develop along a home’s foundation, interior walls, and other spaces, this can mean an increase in your utility usage and costs. Those cracks and gaps let out your heating and cooling while letting in outside heat, cold, and humidity. If you notice that your home’s interior is always uncomfortable and your utility costs are rising, have the property checked for foundation damage and the potential for house foundation repair in Champaign.
