1. Damage
The pier and beam foundation can be defined as many horizontal beams stretched across vertical piers. So, any damage on it can lead to pools of water forming on the land and also to cracks on the interior walls. Be aware.
2. Plumbing Leaks
A plumbing leak is not that rare but, for sure, is a signal that there is some problem on your foundation or that you are going to have one if the situation do not get solved. If you have a leak in your bathroom or kitchen, the water can pool on the floor and drip below the house, for example. As more water rushes into the crawlspace, it can cause serious damage to either the piers or beams – or both.
Doing a water audit is a good way to look for leaks before they cause problems. A leak may exist for years before you notice any foundation problems.
3. Improper Drainage
Talking about problems that can go years before you notice, here are the ones caused by improper drainage. Pier and beam foundation repair is often necessary because of them as you may not look twice at the soil around your home unless you do some gardening work in the spring or need to put down more soil from time to time.
Your checklist to avoid improper drainage is here.
- Good soil.
- Rainwater.
- Retaining wall.
Good soil will absorb any liquid and carry it away from your home. When it rains, the rainwater will soak into the soil and move to other parts of your yard or even the street. Depending on where you live, you may need a retaining wall that blocks water from pooling around your foundation.
Walk around your yard. If you see puddles of standing water, you need better drainage.
4. Poor Soil
We can consider poor soil another thing for you to be aware of. The type of soil found in your yard can also cause you problems, because the soil has the job of protecting your foundation from the elements outside.
If you have low-quality soil, you should notice that it shrinks and expands day by day and often when there are climate changes or heavy rains. Call a landscaping contractor to add new and better soil on top to mix with the old soil and provide more help and support.
5. Inferior Construction
There are old foundations that have their corners cut or were made with cheap materials. They are a huge example of hidden problems inside homes of all ages – even the ones that look great from the outside.
When it comes to your foundation, cheap materials may include inferior types of wood that are not strong enough to support the weight of your home and everything that is inside, so make sure that you check both the beams and piers. You may find that some are thinner or lighter than others and there is even a chance that a previous owner used cheap materials to repair the foundation.
6. Shrinking
Shrinking is another issue that can lead to infiltration in your pier and beam foundation. Though it can occur for many reasons, it is often related to the trees in your yard, because when they need more water than what they get from snow or rain, they send their roots out to find a source. Therefore, you may find tree roots growing in your septic or other plumbing lines and damaging the underground.
7. Changes to The Soil
Many people do not realize that soil can suffer some modifications over the years due to environmental changes. This is very common in the Midwest, for example, because rainwater and excessive snow can take away nutrients and leave the soil poor or weak.
If you live there and never had foundation problems before or recently noticed some issues, check its conditions. Changing or replacing the soil can help you avoid an expensive pier and beam repair.
8. Temperature Changes
Another thing to consider is any change in the temperature of the city, state, or country you live in. Cold temperatures allow water to freeze on the pier and beam foundation and, as the temperature keeps changing, the moisture will freeze and thaw, which causes your piers and beams to expand and contract. That can cause serious damage.
A pier foundation repair contractor can easily come to your home and get under the house to look at everything, determining both what caused the damage and how they can fix it and, of course, getting everything right asap. Give them a call.
