When you face any foundation repair issues, you’re left with two major options: DIY or contact a professional foundation repair company. The foundation repair issue is not something to take lightly. They are the foundation of your home, the backbone. It provides structural support and stability. It’s obvious for foundations to develop issues over time. Some common foundation issues can be cracks, settling, and water damage. These issues require prompt attention to prevent any further damage. When there is a foundation problem, homeowners debate between adopting a DIY or contacting a professional foundation repair company. To make it simpler, we have come up with this article! Here, we will list the pros and cons of each approach and help you make an informed decision. Make sure you read the article till the end to safeguard your property’s foundation by making the right choice!
Let’s start!
Understanding Foundation Problems
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of which approach to use, i.e., DIY or foundation repair company, it’s essential to understand the foundation problems and the types! Various foundation issues include cracks, settling, water damage, and more. Let’s learn about each of these damages in detail!
- Cracks: The cracks around your foundation can be caused by soil settlement, temperature, fluctuation, and hydrostatic pressure. The cracks are the foundation issue that can affect the structural integrity of the building if left untreated. Starting with shots, they can cause damage to the home’s structure, costing you more money.
- Settling: Settling is the uneven settling of the foundation that can cause slopping floors and damaged doors. Further, the visible gaps between the walls and the ceiling are also due to settling. It is a foundation repair issue that requires immediate attention to prevent further damage.
- Water damage: When water enters into the foundation of your house. This excessive moisture or poor drainage around the foundation is the leading cause of erosion. Water damage weakens the soil and leads to foundation problems over time.
These are the most common foundation problems determining whether to DIY or contact a professional foundation repair company.
Further, we will dive deep into the DIY foundation repairs and foundation repair companies. We will also be listing the pros and cons of each of them.
DIY Foundation Repair Method
The DIY foundation method is tempting for individuals to save up some money. They can be helpful for a bit of time. Let’s look at some of the most common DIY methods for foundation repair.
- Epoxy Injection: This method helps deal with minor cracks. You inject epoxy into these cracks to seal them and prevent further water entrance. This method doesn’t clearly address the underlying issues of the cracks, which can lead to more problems. It’s best to contact a foundation repair company for the inspection and fill the gaps with epoxy.
- Grading and Drainage: This method involves improving the grading around your house’s foundation and ensuring proper drainage to prevent any water-related foundation problems. Here, you don’t superficially perform any action but just check that everything works fine.
- Filling low spots: In many foundation issues, there are low spots around the foundation, which can be handled through DIY attempts. The low-level areas around the foundation are filled by adding soil and other materials. This can be a temporary fill and many lasting solutions, but it works for some time.
Pros of DIY Foundation Repairs
Here are a few reasons why DIY foundation repair can be a good choice!
- Cost-saving: DIY repairs are less expensive when compared to a foundation repair company. These professionals can take a look at the issue with a deeper understanding. Still, they also come with a hefty price. DIY can be the best suited for minor problems.
- Immediate-Actiion: Unlike having to go through searching for the foundation repair company, quoting different prices, and then dealing with the real issue, DIY repairs allow homeowners to take immediate action whenever they notice a problem. It can help prevent the situation from turning into a more significant issue.
- Learning Experience: DIY repair can help homeowners with the foundation of their house, the necessary actions to be taken, and the ways to perform them. It can be a sense of accomplishment as well.
Cons of DIY Foundation Repairs
Now that we have listed the types of DIY methods and the pros let’s look at the side that discusses DIY solutions that might not be the best fit!
- Limited Expertise: With little expertise comes limited skill. Instead of doing the right job, you might add to the issues. Homeowners need more knowledge and experience to address the problem effectively.
- Safety concerns: Foundation repair can involve work with cramped spaces and heavy equipment that poses various safety risks. If the DIY is not done correctly, it can lead to other safety concerns.
- Potential for making mistakes: You need to be a professional and need the knowledge and expertise to do the correct job. Incorrect repairs can add to the problem, leading to more extensive and expensive damage.
Professional Foundation Repair Company
A professional foundation repair company brings their years of expertise, experience, and skill into their work to deal with foundation repair issues properly. They offer various advantages.
- Detailed Inspection: Before getting into any repair, these foundation repair companies first detect the root cause of the issues. These professionals conduct a comprehensive assessment of the foundation to determine the root cause of the problem and offer solutions accordingly.
- Advanced Techniques: These experts use specialized tools and techniques to address formation issues effectively. Further, they use these tools and techniques to solve the problem of your home’s foundation.
- Warranty and insurance: Even if anything goes wrong, these foundation repair companies offer warranty and insurance services, something that DIY repair doesn’t show! They offer proof of their work, providing homeowners peace of mind.
Pros of Professional Foundation Repair Company
Working with professionals has various advantages when dealing with foundation repair issues. A few to mention are:
- Expertise and Experience: These professionals have years of experience and knowledge when dealing with foundation repair issues. They can handle all the complex foundation repair issues.
- Long-term solutions: Instead of quickly wrapping up the issues, the foundation repair company starts with a detailed inspection and offers the best service. It provides a long-term solution.
- Insurance coverage: Foundational repair companies are licensed companies that ensure that insurance covers any issues during the repair process. You can be assured of your property and leave it up to them.
Cons of Professional Foundation Repair Company
There are various cases where DIY can be a better suit because of the foundation repair company’s disadvantages. Most of it is associated with the cost and the timely repair.
- Higher cost: Professionals will likely charge more for their service, especially for significant foundation issues. They offer tools, expertise, and techniques to deal with the problem, but it comes with a sum of price.
- Scheduling constraints: Professional foundation repair companies can be busy around the year. So, depending on the season and the demand, getting an appointment and service from a reputable foundation repair company can take time and effort.
Conclusion
Foundation issues can be somewhat serious, and as a homeowner, you must be able to detect the problem before it’s too late. Dealing with foundation repair issues can be rather challenging.
If you have your hand in this type of work for quite a bit of time, and the issue also seems minor, DIY foundation repair can be the best suit. But, if the problem seems central and you’ve never done it alone, we suggest contacting a foundation repair company. Beneath the decision on whether to DIY is your house, where you and your loved ones get to live and share beautiful moments. As a homeowner, it’s essential to understand the severity of the issue in case it leads to structural damage.
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