House Lifting for Better Home Protection

House lifting has been done for quite some time. It’s commonly done to homes that are at risk of flood damage. However, house raising may also be done to repair serious foundation repair. Most homeowners would rather get up and move then have their homes raised and placed on stumps. Thinking about the unattractive sight their home will bring to the neighborhood is enough to make people think that house lifting is totally out of the question. Besides house raising sounds awfully expensive… isn’t it?

Not going to sugarcoat it… but yes; yes, it’s pretty expensive. You could be looking at anywhere from $80,000 to $150,000 and that’s just if everything goes well. Is your home worth the much needed repair? Is your home worth taking this necessary precaution? Would it be such a hassle to pack up everything and move away? This is a big financial decision that you will need to think over and discuss.

Major Foundation Repair

Major foundation repair should be done almost immediately before any more damage occurs. There is no way to really tell when a home is about ready to cave in on itself. And if you can tell, that’s when it is too late to attempt any repairs anyway, and the home must be condemned and then demolished.

Flaking concrete walls in basements is a sure sign that some kind of attention is needed to the homes foundation. Basement walls that bulge out, crack and crumble mean that the home is sinking in. Moisture from the ground on the other side of the basement walls has penetrated through and softened the concrete to an unstable state. In some cases, lifting a home to do major foundation repair is not necessary… but only in some cases. Usually when a basement wall shows the first sign of damage, a homeowner will blow it off thinking that the house is just settling and that no more damage will occur. This is a big mistake.

As soon as you notice the basement walls looking a little bulgy, that’s when you need to make the first move and call a foundation repair specialist.

Avoid Flood Damage

Flaking concrete walls does not necessarily mean that the moisture from the ground outside is affecting the walls. It could also mean that your basement was flooded at one time and stayed flooded for quite some period before it was drained empty. How well do you know your homes history? Did you just move in? Did you check or were you told that you live a in a “flood risk zone” and if obtaining flood insurance is mandatory?

90% of homeowners that live in a flood risk zone and are without a basement consider placing their homes on solid and secured stumps and building the earth up to it. It seems to work, but now some cities are making it against some code they’ve developed. You may want to look into your city’s building codes before beginning such a lengthy and quite costly project.