Some problems within your home are easy to detect. For example, if you notice water dripping from your ceiling, it’s safe to assume that you have a leak somewhere in an upper story. Such problems are easy to detect, and therefore are often easy to fix.
Other issues may not be so easy to be spot, one of which being problems with your foundation. Because we don’t tend to examine our foundations on a daily basis, we seldom notice issues until they have become real problems, and real problems with foundations tend to be quite expensive.
Here are a few signs that you need to be aware of that might indicate a possible issue with your foundation.
Odors and Mold
One of the real enemies of your foundation is moisture. Excessive levels of moisture can weaken the materials used to construct your foundation over time.
A dank, musty smell is an indication of the presence of moisture, as is the advent of mold. Usually, that dank smell is an indication of mold of some variety. The longer mold is allowed to fester, the worse the damage is likely to be.
Bowing Walls, Crooked Doors
When your home was designed, it was designed to sit firmly on level ground. Slowly, over time, that land beneath your home will often move and settle. That obviously means your home is no longer perfectly level.
If you have a door or window that has begun to stick or walls that are bowed or cracked, then this could be a sign that your foundation has shifted because the ground surrounding it has shifted, softened, weakened or hardened.
Unwanted Invaders
The two worst things to find within your basement are water and bugs. If you find pools of water and you have no explanation of how the water got there, then this is most likely to be rainwater that has entered the ground and then entered your basement via foundation cracks.
Insects are creatures of course that need water to survive, and they love nothing more than finding a dank, musty place in which to live. If you notice bugs such as centipedes, silverfish, carpenter ants and earwigs suddenly dwelling in your basement, then this could be a sign of foundation damage.
If you would like the peace-of-mind that comes with a thorough check of your foundation, then contact Tom’s Basement Waterproofing. You can contact us by phone at (586) 949-7826 or (586) 776-7270. There’s also a contact form on our website if you’d prefer to reach out via email.