I thought I had a septic problem when my toilet and sink wasn't draining properly. This suspicion was confirmed when sewer water started backing up in my bathtub. I figured that this was a job for a professional, so I called a local sewer service company. Sure enough, my septic tank was full and this was causing the problem. After having my tank pumped out, my drains run freely and my toilet flushes better than it has in a long time. My name is Wesley Hammond and the experience that I had with my septic system is the reason that I'm writing this blog. Since sewage backup in the house is very unhealthy, everyone should be aware of the signs of a faulty septic system. As you read these articles, you'll learn about the different types of septic system problems and how you can keep them from happening.
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Foundation experts can tell you how well your home's foundation is doing after an inspection, but how do you know when they need to be called? If you'd like to perform a cursory home inspection for potential signs of foundation damage, here are a few steps you can take to suss out hidden symptoms.
Thoroughly Test Your Windows And Doors
Due to the nature of foundation damage, your home can be affected by problems with your foundation even before you notice the change. Part of this change involves the walls shifting imperceptibly as the foundation sags beneath them. Fortunately, checking your doors and windows can help you diagnose this shifting early, before cracks start appearing in your walls.
As the walls sag or lean, their openings become distorted. This means that windows may not open or close the whole way, and doors might start to stick when you try to open them. Of course, you should first make sure that there's no other reason for them to stick, so give everything a good cleaning. Next, test each door and window in the house several times to see whether it has any trouble moving.
The most telling sign is when you have several in one wall that are misbehaving all at once. This hints that your foundation may be sagging or damaged on that side of the house, and the wall is slowly beginning to collapse.
Checking The Concrete's Integrity
With many homes, the outer lip of the foundation is visible above the ground outside. If you have access to the top edges of your foundation, you can use them to rule out some possible forms of foundation damage.
First, examine each side of the foundation for sagging or bulging. The concrete line should be perfectly straight from each corner of your house to the next. Cracks are also good indicators of hidden trouble, since cracks both compromise the integrity of the slab and allow water to get in and dissolve the inner concrete.
Using a screwdriver, try to chip off a small piece of the foundation. Even swinging very hard, you shouldn't be able to break it. If you can take pieces off, it's a sign of weakness across the whole foundation. This typically happens when the original concrete mixture has impurities or poor-quality sand.
Look For Signs Of Water And Rot
Standing water near the sides of your home is a bad sign for the foundation, since water can wear away at the concrete. If puddles are collecting near your home after rains, you may need to have your yard re-graded or install a drain system. If water is gathering there even without it having rained, your main water or sewer line may have a leak, which can also be bad news for your foundation's integrity.
If you have a basement, check the floor throughout the day for signs of moisture, which can seep down into your home's foundation. Dampness and pools of water on the floor are both signs of bad drainage and water exposure. You should also go into your crawl space and check the base of your home's wooden support beams for moisture. Gently poke them with your screwdriver -- if they're soft, the wood is rotting and the foundation has likely been compromised by your home's poor drainage.
This level of inspection isn't comprehensive, of course, but it can help you look for symptoms of hidden foundation damage without any specialized knowledge or tools. If your suspicions remain after you have a look around, or if you find signs of trouble, contact your local foundation repair company, such as Ramco Foundation Repairs, right away. A risky foundation could cause far worse problems for your home, including total collapse, so it's better to have the problem addressed right away.
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