10 Reasons foundation repair should be at the top of your list

Homeownership is atop the list of items on the ever-popular American Dream. Out of more than 320 million American citizens, there are about 125 million households, leaving only 10 million of the 135 total houses left unused. A majority of these 125,000,000+households either outright own their home or pay monthly mortgage installments against them, rather than renting them out.

Homeownership is associated with many responsibilities first-time buyers fail to think about. If you buy a home, you’ll quickly realize you are the one responsible for replacing failing appliances, buying new light bulbs, paying for floor damage – and, albeit it’s not something anyone wants to think about – potentially losing your entire investment if it succumbs to environmental damage like fire or flood. Another important obligations homeowners should always attend to is the condition of their living space’s foundation. Without a strong foundation, many problems result, potentially resulting in repairs costing more than homes themselves.

Without further ado, here are 10 reasons every homeowner should place the welfare of their home’s foundation at the top of their to-do list.

1. Earth Never Stops Moving

A major phenomenon affecting home foundations is a movement within the Earth. Without delving into a full-fledged geology lecture, the ground constantly moves due to never-ending geothermal activity within the mantle, filled with molten rock that has flown and will continue to flow for billions of years. As such, foundation repairs should be handled immediately, as prolonging repairs can only further damage.

2. Gravity Is Inescapable

While we’re all thankful for gravity, this natural phenomenon continually pulls objects closer to the earth’s core. Gravity affects heavier objects proportionally, causing homes to rapidly – in geological terms, at least – sink into the ground. Similarly to #1, waiting can only hurt.

3. Beating around the bush costs more

If your home has a settling foundation, staving off repairs will make them more costly than if you hadn’t waited so long. No homeowner wants to take on the expensive task of foundation repair, although there’s no better time than now to do so.

4. It takes longer, too

As foundation problems get worse, housing components continually lose their structural integrity. For example, foundation issues that sprout up 24 hours ago may only become evident through an unsightly crack in the wall. Conversely, waiting for 24 months may cause plumbing to crack, tiles to break, multiple walls to split, and much more.

5. Inherently related to home value

Every real estate agent and home inspector worth their salt keeps their eyes peeled for a settling foundation. If you advertise your home without foundation issues, you might take hits to your reputation, or be negotiated down significantly. Repairing foundation problems will undoubtedly raise your home’s value, making it such a worthwhile investment.

6. They preface other repairs

If your home needs several repairs, attending to them first may end up costing you more money. Failing foundations worsen literally every aspect of homes, making it necessary to repair them first.

7. Extensive damage can render homes useless

Contacting foundation repair companies is always a good idea. However, these experts may recommend not to bother with the repair because its costs might exceed that of your home. It’s common that foundation issues leave homes unfit to populate, potentially causing the death of residents.

8. Lenders don’t like bad foundations

If a home with an outstanding mortgage collapses, its owners are unlikely to continue making payments. As such, many lenders stay away from homes with foundation problems.

9. Foundation damage = Water damage

Cracks often occur in homes with bad foundations. Groundwater and rain runoff can seep into cracks, causing problems even worse than foundation issues themselves.

10. Energy concerns

Foundation settling and shifting cause cracks. These unwanted openings can cause unwanted air to flow in and conditioned air out, making electricity and gas bills rise unnecessarily.

Damaged foundations don’t repair themselves. If you notice signs of foundation trouble, stay on top of the problem and contact G.L.Hunt for a free estimate. We offer quality and reliable foundation repairs in San Antonio, Dallas foundation repair services, and Fort Worth foundation repair with a commitment to customer service and a job done right.