Last Updated on February 24, 2024
The popularity of television shows dedicated to do-it-yourself home projects has made it seem like there’s very few things you can’t do yourself. But that’s not the full picture. Many of those television shows feature experts in home repairs, so they have the knowledge, skills, and money to ensure all projects end up great. As Direct Waterproofing explains, when it comes to repairing your foundation, it’s almost always better left to the professionals.
Major Foundation Problems Require Special Skills, Tools, and Training
While small cracks in your foundation might be repairable on your own, major foundation problems usually can’t be fixed without the assistance of a company experienced in foundation repair. This is because if an engineer determines that your foundation is unstable and needs some differential settlement correction, the usual solution is to use push piers or helical piers.
To install push piers or helical piers safely and properly, the installer must use hydraulics, which require specialized tools and training that only foundation repair experts have. In fact, you probably can’t even access push piers or helical piers if you don’t have the proper training. Moreover, if you did have access to them, you wouldn’t know how to install them correctly and could cause a bigger issue than you started with.
Throwing Good Money After Bad is Never Desirable
Everyone wants to save money, which is why they turn to DIY projects in the first place. They believe that if they can do the same job as a professional, why pay an expert to do it? Usually, the only costs associated with DIY projects are material costs, and if you can find the materials at a good price, you can come out ahead of the game.
But, with foundation repairs, the likelihood of needing to call an expert after you’ve tried to fix the problem yourself is high. You could soon discover that you’re in over your head and can’t actually repair your foundation and now you need a professional to come out and fix your mistakes along with the original problem. This ends up costing you more than if you had just called an expert in the first place.
Safety Should Always Be Your First Priority
Many DIY projects don’t involve the structural safety of your home, so even if you try to do a project on your own and you aren’t successful, you aren’t really putting yourself in harm’s way. However, with foundation problems, you’re dealing with the literal foundation of your house and without a strong, stable base, your house could become structurally unsafe.
For this reason, it’s always best to have a professional come out to your house and inspect your foundation to determine the best course of action for repairing it. Structural and geotechnical engineers are best suited for this task and can advise you on how to get your foundation repaired quickly, safely, and at the lowest cost possible.
There are Some Foundation Repairs You Can Do Yourself
While most foundation repairs require a trained professional, there are some minor fixes you can take care of yourself. In general, narrow cracks in the foundation that are no wider than one-eighths inch can typically be sealed with grout to stabilize the wall and prevent moisture from entering your home through the crack. Cracks that are between one-eighths and one-quarter of an inch should be sealed with concrete crack filler instead of grout.
However, you should monitor the crack for several months to make sure it is stable and won’t get any larger, which is indicative of a bigger foundation problem. To monitor a crack, put a pencil mark at both ends of the crack and write the date next to these marks. At least once a month, remeasure the crack to ensure it’s not getting any larger. After several months of no growth, you can safely seal the crack yourself.
You might also be able to fix a foundation problem yourself if your problem is that your house is built on a crawl space and it’s sinking in the middle instead of around the perimeter. In a case like this, you may just need to provide extra support to a floor joist that’s between concrete pillars. You can get a post jack at any hardware store and installation is fairly straightforward, though you do need to be careful not to over-lift the floor.
Signs of a Foundation Problem That Requires a Professional
Cracks in your home’s exterior walls that appear in a zigzag pattern or are larger than one-quarter-inch wide are one of the more obvious indications that you have a major issue with your foundation. Note that vertical cracks are less worrisome than horizontal cracks because vertical cracks are often related to normal settling. Cracks that grow rapidly are also cause for concern.
Many cracks in interior walls are benign and are, again, the result of normal settling. Drywall cracks can occur from exposure to water, humidity, and more, which are of course concerns on their own, but they are easier problems to fix than many foundation issues. If you see crumbling, sagging, or bowing walls; diagonal cracks; or cracks that run along the floor or ceiling, call an expert in for an assessment right away.
If you notice that your kitchen cabinets are separating from the walls, your floors bounce or sag, a mildew smell in your house, warped or cracked siding, sticking doors (either interior or exterior), drainage problems in and around your home, or sinking ground, your foundation could be in real trouble. These are all indications that something is not right with your home. They may not be traced back to foundation problems, but no matter what, they need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Conclusion
It’s always recommended you have a professional come out to inspect the signs of a foundation issue to determine what actually is causing the problem. If you find out it’s something you can fix yourself, great. But if it’s something more serious, at least you’ll know and you’ll be able to hire the right person to fix it.