Crack Injection Repair….. Has Your House Shifted? At first glance, this crisis on the big island of Hawaii seems far removed from North Carolina. Residents of this area certainly experience sympathy for property owners who have suffered such devastating losses.
In this part of the United States, we face considerably fewer risks of encountering sudden volcanic activity. Yet this tragedy does hold an important message for real estate owners everywhere. Although largely unseen and usually very, very slowly moving, geologic forces do not remain immobile. Even the massive expanses of earth beneath our feet do indeed move and change over the course of time.
During recent weeks, the tragedy facing hundreds of homeowners in Hawaii has received extensive news media attention. As the active Kilauea Volcano spewed noxious gases into the air and sent burning hot flows of lava surging towards the Pacific Ocean, civil defense teams hurried to evacuate nearby residential areas. Many homeowners learned their property had become uninhabitable as a result of the unexpected natural disaster.
The geologic activity underway in Hawaii at this moment seems frightening in its magnitude and scope. However, the lava flows we witness today will eventually cool and form seemingly stable ground. Kilauea and other volcanoes have helped shape and re-shape the map of the lovely Hawaiian Islands for thousands of years; they showcase the awesome power of natural forces.
Shifting Soil: A Common Occurrence
Geology in fact potentially impacts real estate everywhere. Most people never experience cataclysmic geologic changes first hand (thankfully!). Homeowners in the Greater Raleigh Area do see indirect signs of the slow movements of soils underground in some situations, however.
Has Your House Settled Creating Cracks?
Perhaps you have heard of cases of homes requiring foundation repairs due to shifting top soils? Or seen signs of “settling” in a new home a few years after construction? A variety of natural forces potentially interact with soil to create transformation and movement underground.
Uncontrolled flows of water beneath the ground remain one of the most potent forces for producing changes in topsoil, for example. In some cases (certainly not all), cracks develop in residential foundations and basements due to water pooling beneath a home.
Over the course of time, often a period of decades, this situation may produce unwanted impacts due to gradually shifting underground soils. In extreme cases, it may even cause serious structural problems in residential properties unless homeowners implement corrective measures.
Crack Injection Repair
Of course, unlike geologic formations which usually remain for eons, the typical residential wood-frame structure maintains a more fleeting existence. The anticipated average useful lifespan of a dwelling today exceeds 100 years. Some houses (particularly ones constructed from brick or stone) enjoy a longer effective lifespan, while many mobile homes and manufactured houses endure for less than a century.
In evaluating foundation and basement repair issues, homeowners need to remember these corrective measures don’t serve as a permanent “cure all”. Instead, they prevent the pace of ongoing damage to a basement or foundation from prematurely cutting short the anticipated utility property owners enjoy from the residence.
A waterproofing company, such as Raleigh Waterproofing Inc., may also offer constructive suggestions for preventing (or slowing) further deterioration from uncontrolled drainage or water intrusions.
The process of crack injection involves injecting specially manufactured epoxies or polyurethane into developing concrete cracks to help seal these fissures. If left open, cracks in concrete will allow water to seep into a basement or foundation.
When water freezes, it expands in size. Over the course of time, the cycle of water-filled cracks subjected to repeated freezing and thawing serves to enlarge the scope of a foundation or basement wall crack.
Simply sealing unwanted foundation and basement concrete cracks greatly retards the process of the deterioration of these structures.
Taking this step may help homeowners immensely. It sometimes marks the difference between maintaining a residence in a waterproof, habitable condition or encountering significant repair bills down the road!
Local Foundation And Basement Crack Injection Repair Assistance
Have you noticed worrisome crack formation in your home’s basement or foundation? Raleigh Waterproofing, Inc. assists homeowners in the Greater Raleigh Area and its environs. In many situations, we prevent ongoing damage to these structures from robbing homeowners of the benefits of their investment in their home.
Skilled crack injection services may offer a viable solution to stem the development of foundation and basement cracks. These repairs may stop water damage from prematurely causing structural problems in a home, for instance.