Many things can go wrong after a foundation has been laid.
No matter how professionally everything is done, there are still chances that foundations will sport cracks and other problems after they have been laid.
This has not much to do with the quality of work but a lot more with soil conditions, atmospheric weather conditions, and the type of soil, climatic changes and many other factors among these.
Foundation maintenance is very important and if carried out well then there won't be any major harm or damage done to the foundation to be worried about.
Foundation repair is important to keep the foundation intact.
Two main types of foundations found these days are stone and concrete foundations.
Stone foundations are not very common nowadays but can be found in some of the older houses, buildings and structures.
Stone foundations can show cracks because of many reasons like water, tree roots, earthquakes, soil shifting, soil vibrations due to movement of heavy vehicles and sometimes also because of sonic tremors caused by aircraft.
Cracks appear small and hairline at the beginning and that is when you should consider foundation repair to take care of these small cracks so that they do not spread and get larger.
If the damage is small, foundation repair can be done easily.
However, if the damage is of a serious nature then external excavation can be carried out where the area around the damaged area is dug to fix the foundation.
Concrete foundations are relatively stronger than stone foundations but they also need to be checked for cracks and maintained regularly.
Cracks in concrete foundations can be caused by water leakages, roots of trees pushing through the soil, shifting of the earth around the foundations, and tremors that shake the soil.
Due to these the foundation loses support and starts weakening and sinking.
Small cracks can be fixed by the owners themselves; however, if the damage is of a very grave nature then foundation repair should be carried out by consulting experts who are skilled in conducting foundation repairs.
It does not matter what kind of a foundation is laid how expertly.
Eventually even small cracks turn into bigger ones.
The water content is not a constant factor and can change over time.
Similarly, the soil density can also shift with time.
Due to such reasons, the earth and soil can contract or expand causing damage to the foundation.
It can cause the foundation to sink or even crack at various places.
This can not only devalue the property, cause serious damage to the structure but it can also pose a potential threat to the residents.
A few things should be kept in mind when considering foundation repairs.
It is important that you do not take matters into your own hands and should consult a professional before doing anything because safety is important.
You should not ignore cracks and tell-tale signs of weak foundations but should take action as soon as you suspect something not quite right.
You should also hire an experienced foundation repair contractor or firm who know exactly what they are doing.
Instead of making hasty foundation repairs make sure that you and your contractor find the root cause of the problem and take care of that so that it does not trouble your foundations in the future.