3 Things To Look For In A New Home That Can Indicate Foundation Damage
One of the worst things that can happen when you buy or move into a new home is to discover that the house has foundation damage, mostly because replacing or reinforcing your foundation can be a very large and difficult job. Listed below are three things to look for in a new home that can warn you about potential foundation damage.
Windows And Doors That Are Difficult To Close
One of the easiest ways to see if a house has foundation damage is to open and close the doors throughout the house to see if they open and close smoothly. When a house has foundation damage due to the home settling or shifting, it will often affect the door and window frames first. This will typically result in doors or windows that you will have to slam in order to close fully or struggle with in order to open.
To make matters even worse, if the window and door frames are affected, then it also means that the security of the home may be compromised. The reason for this is that the window and door frames may be so out of alignment that your windows or entry door may not be able to close enough to actually latch or lock.
Water Drainage
Another thing to look for when house shopping in order to determine if foundation damage has occurred or might occur in the future is how wet the soil around the foundation of the home is. In particular, if you visit the property after it has not rained for a few days and discover that ground near the foundation is wet, it is a telling sign that the property has improper drainage.
Improper drainage can put a lot of strain on your foundation by causing the soil around the structure to shift. While this may not necessarily mean that foundation damage has occurred, it does mean that the house is at risk for foundation damage in the future.
Cracks
Finally, make sure that you pay attention to any cracked items around the exterior and interior of the house before you consider purchasing it. Now, tiny or hairline cracks that are visible on the exterior of the home's foundation are not serious and should not be a cause for alarm. However, large or extensive cracks in the basement floor, on the ceiling, and on your driveway can all be symptoms of major foundation issues.
Contact a contraction or foundation repair service, such as Tremor Ready, today to discuss what you should look for in terms of warning signs of foundation damage and to discuss the cost of repairing the foundation if you were to purchase a home with foundation issues. When looking for a new home, make sure to check that the windows and doors are not difficult to close or open, if the home has proper water drainage, and if there are any cracks in order to rule out potentially expensive foundation issues before you purchase the house.