Home Foundation Repair on Long Island due to Settling

In Long Island, home foundation repair is most commonly ignored because homeowners disregard signs of trouble as “settling.”  Settling is a common issue with older homes and is the result of natural changes over time due to the weather or the construction design of the home.

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Older houses are often characterized by warped windows, creaky floorboards, and creaky, sticky doors. When someone moves into an old home, they might even find appeal in the “charm” of these characteristics. What they might not realize, however, is that these same attributes could very easily be telltale signs of a huge foundation disaster.

House foundation repair in Long Island is a bustling business, mostly because of the older aesthetic charm of many of the historical structures found within the city. While creaky floors and sticky doors are often viewed as good indicators of original woodwork or design, it is important to double-check these issues for any other underlying causes besides just old age. While the expense of having a contractor inspect your home for foundation issues might seem outrageous, you would be wise to remember that the cost of fixing later problems resulting from an ignored foundation issue will be much greater.

When most people think of foundation repair, they think of cracks found around the lower edges of the home. A walk outside might not reveal much, if any, foundation problems. What you might not realize is that most foundation problems in older homes are made much more noticeable by looking up. Many foundation repair experts will check a house’s ceilings and windows before they ever even look at the concrete surrounding the basement, crawlspace, or slab. This might seem like a silly method for the untrained eye, but they are actually looking for obvious signs of trouble that are normally overlooked or disregarded as something else, entirely.

While sticking doors are often excused as aged wood that has shrunk or expanded over time, they can also be the result of the foundation of a home failing, causing the doorway to warp. If a sticky door is discovered, a Long Island home foundation expert will measure and use a leveler to determine if the door has retained a squared-off shape. If it has not, then odds are that the trouble is caused by a fault in the home’s foundation. Fortunately, a good contractor can find a fix.

A drafty home is a similarly troubling occurrence. While many believe that drafts in old homes are most commonly caused by older designs of windows, the truth is that a faulty foundation can create gaps between the windowpane and the frame. If a contractor feels that your home is drafty, they will normally inspect windows to find out where and how the air is coming in. If the draft is found to be the result of the window, itself, it is still a good idea to replace the glass- no matter how charming the original- in order to save your home. If air can get in, so can moisture and moisture is a leading cause of foundation issues. If you are hard-pressed to get rid of the old glass, consider using it as a decorative piece on an interior wall, instead.

Cracked ceilings, too, can be overlooked as a charming characteristic of an older home. Foundation repair experts in Long Island warn that large gaps in the ceiling or walls are usually the result of a home crumbling at its base. Painting over these obvious structural issues might make the home look better, but it can be likened to placing a band aid over a third- degree burn. You are only concealing the problem- Not fixing it. Odds are, also, that you’ll be repainting a year from now when the cracks return. Doesn’t it make more sense to have the foundation repaired than to keep covering up its handy work?

If you are noticing gaps in your walls or ceilings, drafts, creaking floors, sticky doors, or even light leaking into weak spots in your structure, you should never disregard the situation as unimportant. Always contact a Long Island contractor immediately to come and take a look before a problem gets out of hand.