5 Ways to Spot Water Damage to Your Foundation

10/19/2016 (Permalink)

One of the most serious issues that can be caused by water damage is water getting into the foundation. This has the potential to cause many structural issues to the house. Some of these structural issues can be quite easy to see but others can be quite difficult to see. No matter how easy these problems are to spot, noticing them early will make fixing the issue easier and cheaper than if they are found later on. Here are five tips to spotting water damage to your foundation that will save you time and money.

Wet Soil Around the House

If the soil around the house is very wet, this is a sign that the water around the house is not draining as it should. If water is standing around the house, it has the ability to seep into the foundation. When water gathers at the foundation of the home, this has the ability to cause serious structural issues to the house.

Wet Crawl Space

If your home has a crawl space, an area that has limited height and is typically used for electrical wiring, this space is often vulnerable to water damage. You can tell that water has infiltrated the crawl space and is causing trouble as there will be moisture, standing water, or staining within the crawl space. If this crawl space is underneath your floors, this is caused by water that has seeped into the foundation of the home. If this crawl space is in your attic, that means you likely have a leak in your roof somewhere. Either way, this is a problem that must be rectified to avoid worse water damage throughout the home and to restore the structural stability of the home.

Uneven Floors

The floors in your home should be straight and level with the foundation of the house. If there happens to be any deviation in the levelness of the floors, that shows that there are issues with the foundation. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there is water damage within the foundation, but that certainly could be the issue. Any issues with floors can be difficult to tell so if you think water may have infiltrated your foundation, you might want to consider bringing out the leveler to check how level your floors are. The change might be very small and only noticeable using a leveler.

Appearance of Discoloration or Mildew Outside of the House

Water that is properly draining from your house shouldn’t be standing next to your house long enough that it can cause stains and mildew. If stains or mildew are being caused by standing water, that water is probably there long enough to drain into the foundation of the home. Additionally, any issues like mold or mildew, which is caused by the existence of moisture, that accumulates near your home can cause health issues for your family, especially if anyone in your home suffers from asthma or respiratory problems.

Your Doors Are Not Working Properly

If you have a door that was working fine but now is sticking or jamming, it may be because the wood of the doorframe is warped. Water is often the cause of wood warping. This could be that water has accumulated around the door and has caused water damage. But another, and more severe issue, could be that water has gotten into the foundation of the home and has caused the warping of the wood. If it is water damage as opposed to foundation damage, it may also cause problems to windows around the house which could make it difficult to open and close them as the wood around the window warps.

Damage to the foundation of your home is a serious matter. The foundation is set to create a safe and stable home for your family. But if water gets into the foundation, it has the ability to create several issues including the warping of wood around door frames and making floors uneven. The most severe issue it can cause is problems to the stability of the home. The longer water sits in any place, the more damage it can cause. So if you have any sort of water damage around your home, it’s important that you contact the professionals at SERVPRO immediately to ensure that the problem doesn’t become worse.