A Sunken Foundation Can Be A Safety Hazard In Your Amarillo Home
Sunken Foundations Are More Than Just A Financial Headache.
They Can Cause Major Safety Issues For You And Your Family.
Foundation issues are part of owning an Amarillo home. At some point, problems are going to occur—foundations simply don’t last forever!
What you might not know, however, is that a sunken foundation can do more than damage your home. It can affect the safety of you and your family.
Sunken foundations aren’t the only issue, either. Homes can also experience foundation upheaval, which is the exact opposite. It means the soil underneath your home expanded to the point where it pushed your foundation up in one or more areas.
Unfortunately, this situation isn’t any better, and it’s quite common in Amarillo due to our expansive clay soil.
Here are some of the ways foundational problems can pose MAJOR safety hazards:
Misaligned Doors
Misaligned doors are an all too common problem among older homes, but they can also be present in newer homes with foundation issues.
At face value, this is just plain annoying. How many times have you struggled for several minutes to latch a deadbolt that doesn’t seem to line up with the door frame?
Well, it’s actually more than just annoying. It presents a major security issue. Doors that don’t properly latch can easily be broken into by burglars or other intruders.
If you have small children, they may be able to let themselves out of a door that doesn’t latch properly. If the door was still functioning, this wouldn’t be possible.
Sensor Issues With Security Systems
You won’t notice because it won’t happen until an intruder breaks in. And if the alarm doesn’t go off when the intruder breaks in, that means it doesn’t work!
The reason they don’t always work if you have foundation problems comes back to the issue of latching doors. Because security systems determine if the seal of a door or window becomes broken, it will do you ZERO good if that is already the case.
Having these issues renders you and your family unsafe and your security system all but useless.
Ripe Conditions For Mold
One reason for foundational issues is the presence of moisture. This can be bad news for the levelness of your home, but it also creates the perfect conditions for mold to THRIVE.
While mold isn’t technically what eats through your foundation, it is toxic and VERY hard to get rid of. The sooner you act, the better your results will be.
This is one of those hazards that varies greatly, depending on how much mold you have, where it is located, and whether or not anyone in your family suffers from severe mold sensitivities.
Regardless, it is in your best interest to eliminate the mold and do everything you can to stop it at the source and keep it from coming back. Fixing your foundation is a great place to start!
Trip And Fall Hazards
It doesn’t take a leveling technician to know sloped or uneven floors make it more difficult to move around. This is especially true if someone in your home has mobility issues.
Rather than continuing to ignore that wooden floor panel that sticks up or the part of your kitchen floor that sags to the middle, call us! We would be happy to take a closer look and see if your foundation is to blame for your uneven floors.
There’s a good chance it is….
Know The Signs Of Foundation Issues
While we’re going to be able to tell you for sure what is wrong with your foundation, there are some definite clues you can notice yourself. Here are a few important things to watch out for:
Cracks in your walls or floors: Cracks in your walls or basement flooring can often be a sign of foundation problems, but they don’t have to be. Cracks that are diagonal or vertical can be caused by a variety of issues, but horizontal cracks are a more surefire sign the foundation is the culprit.
Big cracks (big enough to fit a dime) and the presence of accompanying issues, such as door and window misalignment, increase the chances your foundation is in trouble.
Cracks in concrete basement flooring are common and are not always a sign of foundational trauma, but it is always best to find out for sure.
We are more than happy to take a look to determine if they’re related to your foundation or are just ordinary cracks caused by expansion and contraction of the concrete.- Sticking windows or doors: Doors and windows that don’t quite line up with their frames are OFTEN symptomatic of foundation problems. Before you go ahead and replace your windows, get an inspection to determine if your issues are foundational.
- Sagging or drooping floors: If your floors are visibly sagging in certain areas, there is a STRONG chance your foundation is having problems.
- Crawl space issues: This is a serious issue related to moisture buildup. When this occurs, your beams can begin to mold and even rot. Not good!
Cracks in your walls or floors: Cracks in your walls or basement flooring can often be a sign of foundation problems, but they don’t have to be. Cracks that are diagonal or vertical can be caused by a variety of issues, but horizontal cracks are a more surefire sign the foundation is the culprit.Contact Childers For A Free Foundation Inspection
If you notice any of these signs, give us a call. Our complex analysis of your foundation is closer to a medical examination than it is to most other foundation inspections.
If your home has ANY foundational issues whatsoever, we will find them and offer a clear-cut plan for correcting them. We provide science-based solutions to every project we take on.