Foundation Repairs Are Expensive - Are They Really Needed?

Foundation problems can be the most expensive repairs needed on a home and are common in the Houston area. The clay soil in the area contracts and expands as it absorbs and loses moisture. This can cause movement in your homes foundation. Large trees planted close to the house can remove excessive water from under your foundation and cause problems. The goal is to keep the moisture under your foundation equal all around. You don't want a dry side and a wet side. The ground should slope away from your house. If it slopes towards the house you may have water standing on one side. Water should never be allowed to stand in an area next to the foundation. Look at the roofline to see where water drains off. Homes without overhangs will often have a slight trench next to the foundation from the water constantly hitting the ground here during rainstorms. Adding gutters can help alleviate the problem. You may be able to avoid major foundation problems just by knowing how they are caused in the first place.

Stair-stepped cracks in the brick mortar can be a sign of a foundation problem. These often start at the corner of windows and doors. Cracks inside the home will often start in the sheet rock at the corner of a door or window. Doors and windows may be hard to close as the frame becomes out of square. Look for gaps between the brick and door & window frames. Dawson foundation has some pictures on their site to help you identify foundation problems.

Expansion joints in brick are used to prevent cracking that can be caused by normal foundation movement. I have seen many long brick walls that would probably not be cracked if the builder had bothered to add an expansion joint.

Most foundation companies provide lifetime transferable warranties. If you are buying a home that has had foundation work done on it the seller will tell you this. However the warranty is only as good as the company that did the work. The company may be out of business by the time you need them. The warranty will only cover the part of the foundation that was repaired and may require that you follow strict foundation maintenance procedures. Read the small print, there are many reasons that a foundation company may not honor their warranty.

Foundation repair requires digging under your house, sometimes just around the outside of house and sometimes right through your interior slab. If you have carpet it's not going to be a big deal to pull it back and cut holes in the floor. If you have ceramic tile or hardwood floors you will have to repair these after the work is done.

Homeowners often build up planting beds next to the homes foundation. Totally covering the foundation and bringing dirt up to the level of the brick or siding is an invitation for termites. 6" of foundation showing between the ground and your brick or siding is excellent but seldom seen. Pine bark mulch should be kept at least 6" away from the house. Termites can still build a mud tunnel up the slab and into the house, but at least they are easier to spot. Look for mud tunnels when you walk around the outside of the house. A tunnel built by ants will wipe away if you drag your finger across it, a mud tube built by termites will be harder to break open. One way that professionals treat for termites is to dig a trench around your house and fill it with a chemical like Termidor. A larger house means more trenching, more trenching means more money! Termite treatment can be expensive and the company will likely sell you a maintenance contract that helps cover their cost if they have to retreat. Most people I know that have had termites have had to had their homes treated more than once.