The Dangers of Flooding to Your Foundation
There are many dangers that can affect your home’s foundation, one of the most common ones being flood damage. Flooding can cause massive issues anywhere it pops up, and your foundation is one of the places that may be hardest hit.
The Signs of Flooding
Obviously, if you see water pooling inside your home or around the exterior of your home, then you can recognize that as flooding. However, there are sometimes more subtle signs that flooding may be occurring or may have occurred while you were away on vacation. You may notice an excess of humidity inside your home or condensation on your floors and walls.
Another big sign that there is a water issue is visible mould or just the smell of mould and mildew inside your home. If you see discoloration on your flooring or cracks on your walls you may also have a flooding issue that needs to be dealt with.
The Ways Flooding Damages the Foundation
When waters rush in or around your home, they push at the walls with a lot of force. This causes your home’s structure to weaken and can separate it from your foundation. Another issue is that the waters seep deep into the dirt around your foundation which can cause it to move or crack.
To put the force of water in perspective, consider this: water moving at 10 mph has the same amount of brute force as wind moving at 270 mph. Yet, the water doesn’t generally come alone, when it rushes toward your home, it drags all manner of debris and chemicals with it. These items can further damage the foundation.
Signs of Damage
After the flooding has occurred, you will need to check for foundation damages. There are many symptoms that you may begin to notice within your home. Things like doors and windows no longer shutting or frames being cracked is a sure sign that things underneath your house may have shifted. If you see new cracks in the foundation, the walls, or the ceilings it is likely that the foundation has sustained some bit of damage.
What to Do About it
The first thing you want to do is make sure that your home is still safe, and that you are not in any danger of having the walls or ceiling cave in on you. The best way to know for sure is to get a structural assessment by a professional. At The Foundation Experts, we do a detailed assessment and give you a written estimate on fixing all of your foundation issues. We have been serving the Ottawa region since 1995, and we are a well-trusted name in the industry.
As a family-owned company, we pride ourselves on our knowledge of the industry and our accuracy. We also believe in offering the highest quality standards with our products and with our technicians. That is how we maintain such an impeccable track record. If you suspect that your foundation may have been damaged by flooding, or any other reason, give us a call today at 613-227-2006.