How Frequent You Ought to Inspect Foundation?

A building inspector checking out the foundation of a new building

A home foundation inspection is a must when it comes to catching minor issues on a foundation before they become major ones. The unfortunate fact, however, is that most individuals do not call for a foundation inspection until there is already something troublesome enough to note that the foundation is going on. This is not necessarily a negative thing, but you may wonder how much your foundation should be inspected to keep things on a steady basis.

Why do you have to do a foundation inspection?

It is not something that needs to be a bi-annual affair, including HVAC inspections or even an annual thing, to inspect your base. This is because anything that happens very slowly is to change and settle. In fact, an inspection of a foundation every five years is really good enough. However, there are certain cases in which you may want an urgent inspection of the base. They include:

Buying a house or selling it

Just as with a simple foundation inspection on a property you are purchasing, you would feel more secure, so would future buyers of your home too. Foundation inspections can be a great help if you are buying or selling a house.

Symptoms You Notice

If you find that your doors and windows have trouble closing, or have seen slanting floors, if you see a crack that looks very wide or wasn't even there a few months ago, then it is certainly time to have an inspection. Most individuals wait until they have a concern to get a foundation inspection completed, as we described before. However, if you want to notice issues early, that need not be the case.

Obvious Signs

Aside from buying or selling, if you find obvious signs of harm, you may also need an inspection. A couple of items to look for include:

  • Interior cracks on top of door and window frames

  • Doors or cabinets which do not properly open or close

  • Sloping floors or slanted floors

  • Moisture pooling below a crawl room

  • Counters or cabinets that are independent of the wall

  • In your foundation or exterior walls, very wide, open cracks

Significance of routine inspections

Maybe you've been living at home for a while and you haven't encountered any big issues. That doesn't mean you shouldn't carry out an inspection. In the Oklahoma area, we suggest regular inspections every three to four years for our customers, even if you do not see any signs of harm. This will help you to recognize possible issues early before they have a chance to become larger ones. See us at Ramjack by American Leveling for regular home foundation inspection and repair when required.