Truth vs Myths About Foundation Repair

Caring for a home means more than making sure it’s presentable on a day-to-day basis. It can also mean dealing with foundation-sized problems. Unfortunately, there are a few myths about foundation repair that can discourage homeowners from pursuing necessary fixes.

Myth #1: You Can DIY A Foundation Fix

If you’re trying to save money around the house, it can be tempting to try and DIY a foundation fix when something goes wrong. Unfortunately, DIY solutions can often make the damage already done to your foundation much worse. The contractor you eventually bring in to look over your home’s damage will not only have to charge you for base repairs but also for the removal of a solution that may have exacerbated the damage already present in your home.

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Myth #2: Overwatering Your Landscaping Can Crack Your Foundation

Hydrostatic pressure is the primary cause of most home foundation damage. This pressure builds up outside your home when it rains or when the groundwater in your area starts to rise. It presses against your foundation and causes the particles of the materials therein to rapidly change temperature and size. Those rapid changes can eventually cause cracks.

With that in mind, you may think that watering your landscaping may add to that pressure. In fact, it will do the opposite. When you consistently water your landscaping and the perimeter of your home, you actually keep the soil there healthier than it would be if it only received water when it rained. As such, it can better protect you from runoff when the rains do come.

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Myth #3: Your New Home Won’t Develop A Foundation Crack

New homes are just as likely as older homes to develop foundation cracks if they haven’t been waterproofed. Hydrostatic pressure, as mentioned, can impact materials of any age. Luckily, if you’re building a new home, you’ll have time to discuss waterproofing measures with your construction team, and these measures will be simpler for you to install.

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Myth #4: It Costs Too Much to Repair Your Foundation

The cost of repairing a foundation can be off-putting to many homeowners. After all, you sometimes have to excavate your foundation and waterproof it after it’s been fixed if you want your solutions to be permanent.

That said, the process may not cost quite as much as you might think. If you’re truly concerned about the expense of investing in repairs, you can work with the contractors in your area about payment and financing options. After all, the longer you let your damage sit, the more expensive it’s going to be to deal with.

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Myth #5: Foundation Cracks Will Resolve Themselves

With your foundation out of sight, it’s easy to think you could let damage go without having to worry about the consequences. This is not the case. Foundation cracks do not resolve themselves on their own. Instead, the longer you let most of them go, the worse they’re going to get.

Foundation cracks also generate symptoms that make your home less pleasant to live in, and these symptoms can grow more severe the longer they’re allowed to fester. These include:

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Myth #6: You Can’t Sell A Home with A Damaged Foundation

Homes with damaged foundations, as mentioned, tend to generate symptoms that make the houses themselves less pleasant to live in. As such, it can seem impossible to sell these homes to a potential buyer.

It is not impossible to complete one of these sales. There are two ways you can sell a home with foundation problems. You can leave the foundation as it is and note in the listing that the foundation is damaged, losing up to 30 percent of your home’s resale value in the process. Alternatively, you can put the money necessary to fix the home into your foundation early on and regain that loss as you look for a buyer.

Regardless of which path you choose, you will have to let potential buyers know that your home’s foundation has been damaged in the past. The actual selling of the space, however, won’t be impossible.