A home is only as strong as the concrete foundation that it’s built on. This might be why property inspectors spend so much time examining the foundations of homes to check for damage. You could have a house that needs foundation repair after experiencing a flood, earthquake or other natural disaster. Unlike other home repairs that you can safely wait to have performed for a while, the longer that you live in a home with a cracked foundation the more likely it is that you home will end up condemned. Having a thin, hairline crack in your home’s foundation can be extremely problematic, so it is better to have it dealt with sooner than later. These practical solutions will help you to get your home’s cracked foundation fixed fast without you needing to drastically change your life.
Get a Hold of Your Homeowners Insurance Provider
The reason that homeowners invest in home insurance policies is to get major financial relief when something catastrophic happens to their homes. Just as you would call your insurance agent if a fire were to damage your home, learning that you need foundation repair could also apply. Of course, you will need to understand how, why and when your foundation became damaged. If your homeowners insurance provider finds that you are in no way at fault, you can have all repairs done without needing to spend any of your money.
Check Your Property Purchase Contract
In some instances, homeowners find that they have purchased a house that has existing damage to the foundation. If this happened to you, you should immediately go over your purchase contract and see how the crack in your foundation was overlooked during the purchase process. Most buyers and sellers hire property inspectors and have clauses written into their contracts that include major repairs such as this. It may be inconvenient to need to reach out to the previous owner, but foundation repair is a serious issue. Exercise every option that you have to get the previous owner to take responsibility and have your foundation repair job finished as soon as possible.
Hire a Property Inspector
You might find out that your home’s foundation is cracked while having the carpet in your basement replaced or even just through a routine inspection of your basement for mold and water damage. Even if you weren’t aware of the fact that you have been living in a home with a cracked foundation for years, there’s no time to waste. Have a licensed property inspector write a report that determines the cause of your cracked foundation. Hold off on repairs that you are making to other parts of your house as this could make the crack in your foundation even worse. Find out if your home’s foundation was cracked because of flooding or any form of negligence so that you can get compensated for the damage.
A foundation repair contracting company might need to put your home on jacks to make the repairs, or you could see if there is a way that your foundation could be repaired without having your house displaced. The repairs will take several weeks to be completed, but you will also have a home that is solidly built again. If you don’t want to deal with structural issues with your house further down the road have your cracked foundation fixed by an expert.
