Issues such as uneven floors, cracked walls, leaning chimneys, or moisture pooling near your exterior are all symptoms of a foundation problem. If you’re seeing signs like these, you might wonder how serious the problem may be. Is it bad enough that your home might actually fall down?
It’s understandable that homeowners worry about this issue—after all, your house is a major investment! Yet the question is more complicated than a simple yes or no. The fact is, homes may experience structural damage over time, but the issue can be fixed if caught early.
Here’s more about this important question about your foundation and your home’s structural safety.
Is It Likely for My Home to Collapse?
The good news is that under normal circumstances, houses don’t completely collapse all that often. First of all, builders base their construction on industry standards and municipal regulations that are designed to ensure the building withstands common stresses.
In areas like Tulsa, Oklahoma, homes (especially new ones) are built to stand up to high winds, torrential rains, large hail, and the clay soil’s tendency to expand and contract due to temperature swings and weather changes. A total collapse due to foundation issues isn’t very likely.
But other structural damage is likely, and it only grows worse over time.
What Structural Issues Can Arise from Foundation Problems?
A cracked or weakened concrete slab can lead to several concerns that can make your home unsafe to live in and hard to sell—which means its value will be affected. No one wants that. So, bear in mind that foundation issues can lead to these things:
Plumbing Breakages
Your house’s plumbing system is located largely underneath your home. And no matter how careful you are about keeping pipes insulated, you may very well end up with a major leak if your concrete slab is damaged.
The ensuing motion of a ruined foundation means your pipes will move, so they’re more likely to break. Flooding can make your foundation problems worse, as well as damage floors, interior walls, and more.
Mold and Mildew Growth
Foundation concerns are often associated with the proliferation of mold and mildew. This occurs because your concrete slab is intended to protect your home from too much moisture. If that slab is broken or out of place, you end up with a space that’s damper than ideal.
In that wet environment, mold and mildew will grow. And unfortunately, they do more than make your home’s air quality unhealthy. They also promote wood rot, which can cause your house’s structure to deteriorate.
Decay of Support Beams
As wooden structures in your home are exposed to a faulty foundation, you end up with damage to the beams underneath your home. The wood can rot, of course. But they also can shift out of place as the foundation moves more than it should.
This added pressure can decrease the wood’s strength, bend or break it. And that makes your support beams more likely to give way.
Floors that Sag
As foundation problems grow worse, the overall support system for your home will be affected. And while it’s not as likely that all four walls will fall down, it is quite possible that portions of your floor will begin to sag, slope, and feel weak underneath your feet.
This doesn’t mean a hole will open up and swallow you. But it does make it a lot easier for you to trip, fall, and injure yourself.
Also, sagging or uneven floors can push a lot of the other key elements of your home’s basic structure out of place. Windows and doors can shift, making it more likely for moisture to sneak in underneath siding. Your garage door might not close all the way, allowing in rain and pests that do damage.
What Happens if You Wait to Get Repairs?
Putting off foundation repairs is a definite risk. If your home is truly experiencing a broken, sagging, or cracked foundation slab, then the issue will simply get worse over time. Cracks will just get wider. Moisture will sneak in even more. Dampness will linger.
The resulting symptoms—mold, mildew, leaks, plumbing damage, etc.—will compound into a situation that makes your house even costlier to care for than if you dealt with the foundation issue right away.
The Bottom Line: Have Your Foundation Checked
Foundation issues can happen with any home, but the good news is that there are many ways to overcome them. It’s best to catch those issues and address them quickly to lower the risk that foundation damage eats into your home’s overall structure.
An evaluation from experts (like us, Edens Structural) will help you gain the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your property.
Get Peace of Mind about Your Foundation with repairs from Our Pro Team
If you see signs that have you concerned about your property, we’re here to assess what’s happening. And we’re committed to educating you and giving you straight answers. If your home is experiencing normal settling, we’ll tell you. And if there’s damage, we’ll offer solutions.
Check out how our foundation repair services can fix concrete slab issues and relieve your stress over your home’s safety and value.
