1. Cracks in your walls or foundation allow water to seep 
in to your home:
– Every time there is a considerable rain fall, sunken living rooms, basements and foundations run the risk of having water seep in. The problems may worsen from year to year, this is why it is imperative to make these repairs before the damage becomes too severe. After the repairs, water seepage will be effectively stopped. Water can damage the supports in your foundation, ruin furniture in sunken areas, damage carpeting and flooring, and cause mold to form, leading to health problems.
– Is your residential or commercial property experiencing signs of water damage or water seepage? How would you know? Please read our article on water seepage issues to find out more information on how you can tell if your home is at risk for water issues.
Related: Foundation Damage Due to Droughts
2. Foundation damage directly affects the value of your home and often can affect the status of your home’s eligibility for a loan.
– Often times a potential buyer will not even consider a home with foundation issues as they are known to be damaging and costly to repair. In addition, it may be very difficult to obtain a loan to purchase a home with foundation damage, or they will require proof of repair of these issues, which could lead to nasty negotiations.
– In the case of an FHA loan, they may categorize your house as a “Fixer-Upper” requiring the buyer to get a special type of loan, subsequently lowering the value of the house. The VA also has specific guidelines regarding foundation repair.
This example details guidelines for a loan term of 30 years on a manufactured home:
“To be eligible for a VA loan term of 30 years, a manufactured home must be
• classified and taxed as real property
• properly affixed to a permanent foundation (Section 12.10)
• substantially conform with VA MPRs (Chapter 12), and
• conform with applicable building code and zoning requirements for real estate.”
For more information on the VA and foundations download this PDF(over 600 pages) and search for the term foundation
This example shows how important a foundation can be in the process of obtaining proper funding for a new home. Do not leave your property vulnerable to devaluation and ineligibility of funding.
Related: Improve the marketability of your building
3. The longer you wait to repair your foundation, the more severe the damage will be, and more costly the repairs.
– At first you may notice only small cracks, or only a slight sloping to the floors. After time though, if the cause of those slight imperfections is not repaired, it will continue to displace your foundation.
– Logically, the more your foundation shifts, the larger the cracks become, the more weak the entire structure becomes, and thus the more the costs of repairing your house increase.
– Make sure to catch your foundation damage early so you can avoid more major damage and more costly repairs.
4. 85% of homes in California will experience foundation shifting due to a high concentration of expansive soil.
– Expansive soil is soil that is very common in the US and especially in Southern California. Expansive soil if less densely compacted soil that is susceptible to movement, when it absorbs water and then when it dries, and when that water is cold or when that water is hot.
– As the soil beneath your home expands and contracts, it shifts where your foundation is sitting, and therefore the structural integrity of your house. In most cases there are relatively simple solutions that can be put in place, but there are also more in depth solutions which can be more costly. Find out sooner, rather than later, what condition your soil and therefore your foundation is in.
Some good information on soil conditions can be found here: geology.com
5. Repairing your foundation damage can help you lower energy costs.
Repairing shifted windows and cracks in a structure can affect energy costs.
A large percentage of your homes heat is lost through:
– Infiltration and air leakage
– the small openings around doors and windows that are uneven.
– Floors and below grade space
– Walls
– Ceilings
Related: What if you delay foundation repair
If you think your house is experiencing foundation problems, contact California Foundation Works today for a free* foundation inspection.
