Construction & Contractors Blog
If you have discovered cracks in the foundation of the property you are currently renovating, here are two steps you will need to take.
Identify and fix the source of the foundation cracks before you have the foundation itself repaired
After discovering the cracked foundation, your first instinct might be to call a tradesperson who does foundation crack repairs and arrange for them to fix the damage as quickly as possible.
However, before you do this, you should first try to identify and resolve the issue that caused the cracks. The reason for this is that if you have the foundation repaired before addressing the root cause of the damage, the foundation will probably end up developing new cracks in the very near future.
As such, the first thing you will need to do is get to the bottom of the problem.
Broken guttering is one of the most common causes of cracks in a property's foundation. This is because when a gutter breaks, rainwater then ends up draining into the soil below the foundation. The soil then expands as it becomes more and more saturated. This expansion of the soil places pressure on the foundation and causes the concrete from which it is made to crack.
If this is the cause of your foundation cracks, you should have the gutters replaced or repaired (depending on how damaged they are) before getting someone to repair the foundation.
Check the rest of the house for signs of dampness and structural damage
After the foundation cracks have been repaired, you should check the rest of the house for signs of dampness and structural damage before you proceed with the rest of the renovation work.
The reason for this is that if the foundation cracks developed more than a few months ago, it is quite possible that they may have led to rising damp forming (as moisture may have accumulated in the cracks, and then spread through the walls by means of capillary action) and caused the structural framework to shift.
These problems should be rectified before the house is renovated. If they are not, the newly-decorated walls may form visible cracks, and the door frames may become warped (due to the damaged structural framework). Additionally, any new carpeting or other soft furnishings that you add to the house may end up ruined by damp-induced moisture and mould. The aforementioned mould could also make the property unsafe to reside in (as mould spores are known to cause several types of health issues).
For more information, contact a local company that does foundation crack repairs.
Share1 August 2018
When we moved into the house we had a really cute patio, but it was so small that if more than two people wanted to share a meal or sit together there wasn't room. That's why I have been extending the patio and working on ways to make it more hospitable for the whole family to spend time out there, such as getting the music system to connect to some speakers in the structure. This blog has some tips for homeowners who are looking to attempt a patio renovation or extension and has some tips on which jobs to DIY and when to call in the professionals.