Foundation Maintenance In Your South Jersey Home
Foundation maintenance should be a top priority as a South Jersey homeowner. Issues with your foundation can lead to a lot of costly repairs, so stay ahead of the game. Being a homeowner is a lot more than decorating your house and making it your own. While that is definitely the most enjoyable part, home maintenance is just as important – if not more. Anyone who owns a home understands that home maintenance is not easy, and can get expensive. It is imperative that you stay on top of home and foundation maintenance to ensure the safety and comfort of you and your family.
Cracks in the foundation, among other issues, can lead to water intrusion. It is important that South Jersey homeowners are prepared to deal with any of these foundation maintenance issues. Keep an eye out for any potential issues. Early detection along with regular foundation maintenance is the key to avoiding bigger problems. By doing this, South Jersey homeowners can save time, money, and reduce the risk of long term damage.
Pay Attention To Your Home’s Foundation
Negligent homeowners may accidentally leave their home vulnerable to issues that can lead to foundation damage. Frequently monitoring your foundation walls from both the interior and exterior can help prevent potential damage. Check for any cracks, unevenness, or staining, as these can be very harmful. Cracks can be especially detrimental. Water can leak in through those cracks over time without you even noticing. This slow leakage can be just as damaging as something like a pipe burst or flood.
Neglecting foundation maintenance can allow for water damage to enter the home, costing you even more time and money. Water damage that goes unnoticed can lead to:
Extensive damage to your home - Mold development in the area of water intrusion, as well as other areas
- Diminished property value
- Health & safety concerns for you and your family
- Structural integrity of your home’s building materials may be compromised
Keep Up With Foundation Maintenance – Avoiding Damage
Check For Cracks: Even the tiniest cracks give water the opportunity to seep into your foundation walls. Once that water penetrates the foundation walls, if not properly dried out, it can be detrimental to your home. Unaddressed or unnoticed leakage can spread to other areas in a very short period of time. When you come across a crack in your foundation wall, it is imperative that you fill it in as soon as possible. You may not be sure how long the crack has been there, so you want to ensure that water hasn’t already made it’s way in.
Direct Water Away From Home: Your home’s gutters and downspouts actually play a huge role in protecting your home’s foundation. Properly placed downspouts should direct water away from the foundation. This ensures that the water does not pool around the foundation of the home.
Fix Grading Issues: Improper grading can lead to water pooling around the base of your home. The ground surrounding your property should slope downward and away from the home. Same as the downspouts, proper grading should direct water away from the home. South Jersey homeowners should be keeping a close eye when it rains. This will allow you to identify if any water pooling occurs around the base of your home. In the event that you discover improper grading surrounding your home, take action immediately.
Dangers of Neglecting Foundation Maintenance
Compromising the integrity of your foundation walls can lead to a variety of issues throughout your home. Water intrusion is one of the main issues that a neglected home foundation leads to. You should be regularly conducting foundation maintenance checks for signs of damage. Leaving potential water damage to its own devices can cause a lot of damage to your home. Any issues found during these maintenance checks must be taken care of immediately.
Water damage that hasn’t been properly addressed can lead to mold development. Most home’s foundations are concrete, which is generally not a good breeding ground for mold. However, porous building materials such as wood can be affected because they are in contact with the concrete. Water intrusion in your foundation walls can increase the relative humidity in the area, which can also lead to mold development.
Foundation moisture issues need to be addressed immediately so that issues such as mold do not occur. If you didn’t realize until it was too late, don’t worry. Contact a professional mold remediation company in your South Jersey area. Don’t wait – schedule an inspection today.
