What’s the first word that comes to your mind when you think of your home’s foundation? Probably something like “strong,” “dependable,” or even “impenetrable.” Most of the time these are true descriptors of what your foundation is, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Here in Omaha we’ve had a spring and summer that came with a lot of rain, and with heavy rain comes something else that could spell trouble for your foundation–excessive settling.
That’s right, if you own an older home in the Omaha area or have been affected more than usual by the torrential downpours we’ve been having, your home’s foundation may be at risk of settling, which leads to cracks where water can enter into your home. Our team at Restoration Now! Omaha sees these kinds of issues all the time and has dealt with many flooded basement situations that have come about due to settling foundations. While we’re experts at restoration, we can’t control the weather, so we also put a lot of stock in preventative knowledge for homeowners to Restoration Now! this kind of flooded basement damage from happening in the first place.
How to Tell If Your Foundation is Settling
If you have the slightest feeling that your foundation might be settling more than normal, you should call an expert right away to determine the extent of the damage. Some signs that excessive settling might be occurring in your foundation are bowing walls, visible cracks along any grout lines that may be present, and cracks or low spots in the floor. If you wait to have these issues taken care of, you could end up with a costly flooded basement issue the next time a storm rolls in. Water damage problems like these can even lead to hazardous mold growth and house stability issues, so it’s best not to ignore the problem once you’ve noticed it.
What Causes Foundation Settling?
Foundation settling is a normal part of owning a home–in short, every foundation settles because every foundation is built on a bed of earth, and the ground itself is subject to compression, erosion, and other factors that cause it to shift over time. A certain amount of foundation settling is to be expected when you own a home, especially if it’s in an older neighborhood, but you can run into flooded basement trouble when you start to notice more settling than should be occurring (with cracked or bowing walls, low spots in the floor, or any other signs of abnormal foundation movement).
Flooded Basement? Contact Restoration Now! Omaha at (402) 502-7277!
Your foundation is your home’s most solid support, but it’s not impervious to damage over time from heavy rains and normal soil shifting. If you do notice that a crack in your foundation is the cause of your flooded basement, give our team a call today at (402) 502-7277 or fill out our contact form! We can clean up and restore any water damage issues you have and give you recommendations to solve your foundation problems permanently. We offer 24/7 emergency services, so don’t wait to call us today!