The Difference Between Foundation Repair and Foundation Leveling

Home inspector looking at exterior brick foundation of home.

The symptoms of a problem with your foundation are often located at a distance from the foundation itself. You may begin to see a crack forming in the top corner of a wall or become frustrated by a bathroom door sticking every time you open it. In fact, you may have doors that no longer close at all.

Like most homeowners, you may think a swollen door or poorly constructed door frame is the culprit, but these are often signs that your foundation is in need of a repair. So, before you begin filling cracks with caulk and replacing door frames, take a deeper look.

A Damaged Foundation Likely Means Damage Elsewhere

A more obvious sign that you have issues with your foundation is cracks in the foundation itself. These fractures can be found in the interior of a basement wall or along the outside of your home. This evidence of a damaged foundation poses an even greater threat than many others. Cracks along the exterior of your foundation can be an entryway for moisture into your home, causing even more damage to your subflooring or other areas.

Once you start to think that an issue with your foundation is to blame for other problems around your home, the next step is finding the proper company to help you fix it! Companies will use a variety of different tactics to level your foundation. If the work is only to level your home, however, there is no guarantee that the problem will not return.

Repairing the Foundation Permanently Requires A Specific Strategy

Restoring a slab to its original height may cause those cracks to close and those stuck doors to open easily, but leveling alone will not get at the root of the problem. Many times, the cause of a damaged foundation is bad soil surrounding the home. When the equipment is removed after the job, the bad soil remains.

Fortunately, there are companies who offer a permanent solution to your foundation repair needs. Through the use of foundation piering, experienced foundation repair companies like Tom’s Basement Waterproofing install vertical columns underneath your home to add support and strengthen the foundation exactly where it needs to be reinforced the most. These columns remain even after the job is finished so you can rest easy knowing your foundation will not fall into disrepair when the moisture levels of the soil change again.

Call Tom’s Basement Waterproofing at (586) 776-7270 or use our online contact form to reach out to our team of foundation repair expets. Remember, all of our foundation repair work comes with a lifetime warranty so you can finally put this problem in the back of your mind for good!