Read This If You Don’t Think Foundation Problems Can Happen to You
If you own a home in Memphis or anywhere in the Mid-South, you already know that the weather never knows how to behave. One week it’s humid and pouring, the next it’s bone-dry with cracks forming in the yard. What people often don’t realize is how brutally this climate treats your home’s foundation.
Many think that foundation problems are something that happens to “old houses” or poorly built homes. But over time, signs creep in quietly. It may start with a door that doesn’t close right, or a tiny crack above a window. No big deal, right? Houses settle! That’s what everyone says, but houses don’t just “settle”, they shift.
When Your House Starts Talking to You
If you’re someone who put off dealing with foundation problems, you likely now know that your home had issues for a long time. Cabinets may have been pulling away from the walls, walls may have had minor cracks, your floors may have even felt soft or “spongy”. The blame usually shifts to things like humidity, weather, age, or even past contractors. For many, the final nail in the coffin is a stair-step pattern crack on the exterior of the home. This is when many realize the problem starts in their foundation.
Why Memphis Homes Are Especially Vulnerable
Every time the soil expands, it pushes against your foundation. Every time it dries out, the ground pulls away, leaving voids beneath the slab. Over time, your home starts to sink unevenly, crack, and move. Add in extreme weather cycles, weeks of drought followed by sudden downpours, and your foundation is constantly being pushed and pulled from below.
But, this damage doesn’t happen overnight. It often happens slowly enough that you learn to live with it. This can be dangerous, as foundation cracks don’t just affect structure. These cracks can let moisture in, invite mold, attract pests, and even drive up energy bills.
When You Can’t Ignore Foundation Problems
If this all sounds familiar, here’s the good news: your foundation is most likely fixable.
Foundation repair isn’t as scary as it seems, we promise. Most companies, like American Standard, Foundation Repair, provide financing options, free estimates, and will transparently walk you through the plan and process.
Waiting Does Cost More
While needing foundation repair isn’t the end of the world, waiting will cost you more. The longer you wait for repairs, you may notice things like:
- Cracks growing wider
- Doors and windows warping further
- Floors sloping more
- Plumbing lines becoming vulnerable
What might have cost a few thousand dollars early on may become tens of thousands once structural damage compounds. And when you go to sell your home in Memphis, foundation problems aren’t optional disclosures, they are mandatory.
What Now?
When you notice little things changing in your home, don’t dismiss them. Those “little things” are early warnings that can save you thousands if addressed quickly. Don’t ignore your foundation, protect it with American Standard Foundation Repair. Call any of our branches today for a free estimate.