The Effects of Not Repairing Your Foundation
Many issues can arise as a result of a faulty foundation. The first step to maintaining the health of your Seattle home is understanding the warning signs of foundation issues. However, even though you are aware of the symptoms BUT do not act on them, you may just be ignoring the tip of the iceberg. The stability of your home may be in danger of sinking more quickly than the Titanic.
Why Acting Promptly On Your Foundation Issues Is Important
Foundation issues can be compared to the initial stages of a domino effect. If you don't take care of the issue as soon as possible when it arises, you can expect further issues to continue to arise throughout the rest of your home.
It is quite understandable why many Greater Seattle Area homeowners would want to put off the expense and difficulty of rebuilding their foundation, yet doing so almost invariably results in worse future problems.
You must understand how detrimental the effects of procrastination may be if you can see that the foundation of your home is beginning to break. Let's go over some of the most typical problems that delayed foundation repair has resulted in.
Structural damage
Your home's structure is put under a lot of strain by the shifting levels caused by a weak foundation. Resting on an unlevel surface can cause major harm to the building by causing it to bend and stretch throughout.
As they are pulled in various ways, walls may start to crack, and floors may begin to sag as the support from below gives way. It is possible for columns and beams to sag and lean. These all have the potential to lead to dangerous situations that get worse over time.
Plumbing damage
Since your home's plumbing systems are made of PVC or metal piping, this limits flexibility. They are constructed to be level with your house when they are installed. Thus, if you have an unstable foundation, pipes may begin to bend if that leveling changes in any way. The likelihood of leaks and pipe bursts increases as the unevenness widens.
Anyone who has had a plumbing leak in their home understands how serious it is. Uncontrolled water flow makes it simple to develop substantial water damage that necessitates replacing things like flooring, drywall, electrical infrastructure, and more.
The problem is often worsened when this problem goes undetected for quite some time, especially when the leak or burst is concealed within a wall. When that happens, structural damage caused by water is not the only thing you have to worry about but also health hazards in the form of mold growth.
Pests may enter your property
Cracks in your foundation, fractures in your walls, and spaces between your flooring layers will open many opportunities for pests to enter your home. Mice, rats, spiders, termites, and other insects will gladly enter via your property’s opening in search of shelter and occasionally even food.
The creatures themselves may not bother you, yet they can still be a big problem. Infestations of rodents, cockroaches, and other pests can make your home extremely unhygienic. Many even can urinate, eat, or nest to inflict structural damage on their own. Since it is always possible for new bugs to move in, hiring an exterminator won't be effective for very long. The repair will be the only way to end the cycle.
It may affect resale value
The current median sale price for a property in Seattle is around $840,000 and this number has grown at least 5% year over year. However, you might not be able to sell your property at the price you want if you have a faulty foundation.
Nobody can be blamed for not wanting to purchase a home with a damaged foundation, given all the headaches it causes. Thus, selling your house might be difficult if it has foundation issues.
The majority of purchasers will turn around and look elsewhere for a home that won't require a lot of money in repairs. You'll have to hope for a buyer who not only has a budget big enough to cover repairs on top of the sale price but also appreciates your home enough to think all the work is worth it.
Final Words
A sturdy and intact foundation is one of the most important aspects when looking into a property. If you have a faulty one and leave it unrepaired, chances are, it will lead to dozens of other problems later on. If you’re in the Greater Seattle area and need help in repairing your foundation, the Five Star Foundation and Drainage Repair team will be more than happy to lend a hand.
