Your home is a significant investment and a place your family and loved ones should feel safe. Unfortunately, natural disasters, adverse weather, and poor planning can damage your home’s structural integrity.
Therefore, improving your home’s structural integrity is vital for its longevity while preserving its value. Here are four ways to protect and maintain your home’s structural integrity.
Fix your “drifting” porch
One sign of an ongoing house structural integrity problem is a porch “pulling away” from the home. This usually happens when the foundation of your home starts settling and causes noticeable cracks between the porch and the home.
You will need professional assistance to lift the porch back into position. Doing this would also prevent cracks and further issues of unsettling in the future.
It can be helpful to hire a professional foundation repair company for an in-home evaluation to detect and fix your drifting porch.
Seal gaps in door and window frames
Your doors and windows can also indicate structural integrity issues. When a part of your home begins to sink, the other part wouldn’t drop that fast and cause your internal walls to bow.
This creates gaps in your internal walls, causing drafts throughout your home, which can be quite frustrating to deal with. You can prevent the effects of this issue by sealing the gaps in your doors and window frames, tightening your door hinges, replacing your old weather stripping, and installing a new one.
Assess your windows and doors for leaks, and don’t ignore your chimneys and vents. You can use expanding foam to fill large gaps around your windows and serve as a moisture barrier while allowing some movement without breaking or cracking.
Waterproof your home
Moisture can cause severe damage to your home exterior. Waterproofing your home can prevent water from seeping in and fix damages to your foundation walls.
Likewise, it can prevent your property’s structural footing from weakening and ensure foundation reinforcing. It is also effective for termite treatment by controlling moist presence in the home, so keep this in mind.
Check the walls of your home for cracks and voids that require repairing during waterproofing. You may want to consider installing a gravel and weeping tile system to ensure efficient drainage and forestall any potential damages.
Repair your concrete flooring for better structural integrity
With time, your basement concrete floors will require repairs. Peeling and cracks are signs of a concrete problem. However, you can improve your home’s structural integrity by resurfacing the affected cement base.
Likewise, you can remove and replace the old flooring, which may also be at risk, with a new concrete floor for additional years of protection. Cracks in your basement can make your property look bad and affect its resale value. Fortunately, you can DIY this job with a few materials.
Keep an eye on tell-tale signs indicating interior and exterior structural integrity damage in your home. Regularly inspect your home for any indicators and have professionals check and find the best ways to make it safer for you and your loved ones.