Every year, you need to check if your home is still safe to live in. It is important to understand that your house undergoes a lot of changes constantly. These changes are some of the things you need to watch out for. Some of these can actually cause harm to your family if you do not address them as soon as possible. To determine the actions and steps you need to take, you have to do a thorough annual home inspection. When it comes to it, many homeowners often forget this one important thing: the foundation.
People overlook the foundations, thinking that they are strong and can last a long time. Yes, they are designed to withstand a lot of harsh elements and environmental factors, but that does not mean that you will just leave them alone. If you are looking for ways to check your home’s foundations, here are some of the things you may want to do:
Check the soil
Among the first things you should look into is the soil of your property. However, most homeowners do not think about it. It shouldn’t be taken for granted, knowing that soil behavior can affect the stability of your home. Such is a term called soil mechanics where the stability of the soil is also being studied. Sometimes, the condition of the soil causes the settling of the home, which can be dangerous.
Check the basement
The basement of your home may be just considered as an additional storage space. It may be just where you keep the things you do not need anymore. As such, it is much easier to forget it. But you should not. You ought to check it for the humidity levels. Higher humidity may cause moisture, which can affect the concrete integrity of your foundations.
Look into the gutter
When you think about it, the gutter and the foundation are far away from each other, but they are not. They are interrelated. Some parts of the gutter are installed onto the walls, which the run towards the soil. The water that goes through the tube can be absorbed by the foundations, which in turn may weaken their integrity. Spillover from the gutter can also hit the foundations. This is why you need to take care of your gutter, too. It pays that you seek the help of reliable provider of rain gutter cleanout services in Salt Lake City.
Look for cracks
The cracks on the foundations’ walls are telling signs that there is a problem regarding your foundations, and this needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Caulking may not be the best solution; you may have to use braces or even overhaul the foundations.
Annual home inspections are important facets of home maintenance. These give you insights on how you can further improve the way you protect your home or make it more durable. When undertaking such a task, you need to be specific with the areas you need to check. You are also supposed to work with reliable third party suppliers.