The foundation of your home is a very important thing, so much so that up to 15% (and typically no less than 8% at the very least) of building costs should be directed into making sure the foundation is as high quality as it can possibly be. There are a number of ways that this can be accomplished, from using the right materials to choosing the right kind of foundation in the first place. From slab foundation to crawlspace foundation to basement foundation, three main types of foundation exist – but should certainly not be used interchangeably. After all, slab foundation is typically used when basement foundation would lead to an unstable home, based on the type of soil and the soil quality surrounding it. Therefore, using basement foundation or even crawlspace foundation would likely be an egregious error indeed.
Of course, the care and keeping of your foundation is also critical to overall foundation quality, and caring for your foundation well will be essential in the years that are to come. This will be particularly important if you are looking to sell your home, as the quality of the foundation will be critical to the asking price and actual amount that you are able to get for it. A home inspection should likely be conducted on your foundation if you have been living in said home for at least two decades, even if you are not planning to move, as time and the elements can cause some wear and tear on all of your home, foundation included.
Fortunately, there are many ways to keep your foundation in good shape. For one thing, hiring home foundation repair companies when necessary will help to keep small scale problems with your foundation from spiralling out of control. In some cases, even termite damage repair might need to be conducted. The need for termite damage repair can occur in a great many homes, and termite damage repair can certainly be conducted. But in order for termite damage repair to be as successful as is possible, this termite damage repair should be conducted as early on as is possible. Waiting to conduct termite damage repair for as long as possible can certainly lead to catastrophic results.
Of course, to avoid termite damage repair and other types of foundation repair, certain precautionary steps can and should be taken, some of them larger scale than others. For instance, you can protect your foundation simply by gardening carefully and with the foundation in mind. In order to do this, you should ensure that all plants do not come nearer than two feet away from the foundation, and are planted shallowly enough taht their root systems do not damage the foundation by diverting water towards it. In addition to this, the gutter systems should be cleaned regularly, to prevent issues with clogging and potential flooding. They should also be able to divert water at least three feet away from the foundation too, as this will also help to avoid water damage to the foundation. Regular inspections can also help to negate the need for all kinds of damage repair, even termite damage repair.
In addition to all of the above, exterior waterproofing services and interior waterproofing services should both be taken advantage of when basement foundation is being used. After all, flooding in all basements is incredibly common indeed, with more than 95% (around 98%, to be just a bit more exact) experiencing flooding to some degree at some point in time, though some will suffer much more damage than others, to say the very least. In fact, as much as 37% of the population has suffered from flooding damage and up to 14,000 new people must deal with a related emergency on a daily basis, showing just how prominent this issue is. Therefore, the ROI on waterproofing measures is high – sometimes getting you back as much as one third of your initial investment, something that is certainly quite impressive indeed.
From termite damage repair to exterior waterproofing services, there are many ways to keep your foundation sturdy and safe even after a number of years.