Basement Foundation Failure Symptoms
Basement foundation failure is something that plagues thousands of homeowners each year. Basement foundation failure is a serious issue and must be addressed as such by acting in a quick manner and contacting an expert as soon as possible to evaluate the situation.
Causes of Basement Foundation Failure
- Evaporation: Overly dry climates and drying environmental pressures such as wind can cause all moisture to evaporate from the foundation, resulting in cracks and eventual foundation problems.
- Transpiration: If there are trees surrounding your home, it is possible that these plants may desiccate the soil beneath your home and cause foundation problems.
- Plumbing Leaks: One of the most common causes of foundation failure is plumbing leaks that go unnoticed until foundation problems are discovered.
- Drainage: Improper drainage also leads to foundation problems when drainage systems are not installed properly and drain water towards the foundation and closely surrounding areas of the home. The excess moisture causes problems with the soil and the foundation walls.
- Inferior Foundation Construction: Insufficient construction of the original foundation often leads to foundation failure over time.
- Inferior Ground Preparation: This the leading cause of foundation failure. When the foundation is built on soft soil, the likelihood of foundation failure over time rises significantly. This problem can be eliminated by preparing the soil accordingly via certain digging techniques.
Common Symptoms of Basement Foundation Failure
- Bowing Walls: This phenomenon is where your basement walls begin to lean inwards or outwards and is readily observable.
- Identifiable Cracks: If there are visible cracks in your basement walls, this should raise concern that foundation failure may be imminent. Crack severity based on depth, length, and jaggedness may indicate how imminent complete basement foundation failure is. However, an expert is needed to determine the true severity of basement foundation cracks.
- Water Intrusion: If you see water leakage into your basement or are observing wet walls and floors, this may be cause for alarm. Also, if there appears to be damp areas around your basement, this is less severe this could alert you to moisture damage which may be less severe, but still warrants immediate attention.
If you suspect that your home may be in danger of imminent foundation failure, contact Intech Anchoring Systems at 800-223-7015 to get your free estimate and locate a Intech Anchoring Systems expert near you.
