Moisture that seeps in through your foundation can cause all kinds of problems, so it is best to eliminate them with waterproofing near San Antonio. Using both interior and exterior basement waterproofing techniques, you can make sure you keep your foundation dry. Watch this video clip for tips for waterproofing a foundation.

A wet basement can lead to serious problems like water damage and mold growth, which can impair the structural integrity of your home and cause health problems. Fortunately, you can use waterproofing to keep moisture out of the basement and avoid these issues. In some cases, the best idea may be to modify the drainage. You can keep the water away from the foundation of your home by redirecting it using a downspout and an extension. You can also use interior basement waterproofing products that you can apply directly to the inside of the foundation in order to seal moisture out.

One area of the home most homeowners tend to ignore when it comes to maintenance and repairs of the home is the foundation. Whether you have a basement or concrete slab, the foundation is an essential support structure for your home. From hot and cold temperatures to different weather conditions, these can pose problems for your foundation, which can lead to costly repairs.

Hot Weather

During the hot summer months and periods of drought, the dry air causes the water in the concrete to evaporate. This can lead to cracking and a weakening of the foundation. Hot weather also causes the soil to dry out, which can lead to foundation settling because there is less moisture in the soil. As a result, the foundation will “settle” or sink into the ground, resulting in an uneven foundation and cracks.

Rainy Weather

Any problems created during hot, dry periods of weather can cause problems once rain returns. Cracks or gaps in the foundation can allow the water to get under the home or into your basement, which causes flooding and further weakens the foundation. The water will also cause the cracks and gaps in the foundation to become bigger.

Not to mention, the underlying soil is often so dried out, it cannot reasonably absorb large amounts of water after prolonged dry spells, so it will become soft and mushy and could result in further “settling” or sinking of the foundation.

Cold Weather

While not that common, it can turn cold in San Antonio during the winter months, and we do occasionally get some snow. The colder temperatures can cause problems for your foundation in situations where there are already small cracks and gaps. As temperatures drop, concrete will contract slightly, until temperatures warm back up, when it will expand again. As such, any existing cracks and gaps can become larger.

How to Check Your Home for Foundation Damage

It is a good idea to get into the habit of performing a foundation inspection after especially long periods of hot, dry weather. Your home will exhibit certain characteristics that could indicate potential foundation damage, including:

1. Cracks and gaps in the foundation or basement floor and side walls.
2. The appearance of cracks on walls, ceilings, and stairways, and other upper levels of the home.
3. Doors and windows become difficult to open or close and seem overly tight.
4. You notice gaps and cracks around windows and exterior doors.
5. The roof looks like it is sagging, which is common in homes with severe foundation damage.
6. Large cracks and gaps in the soil around the exterior perimeter of the home.

If you notice any of the above symptoms, it is highly recommended you contact a professional foundation repair company, like us, here at MitchCo Foundation Repair, to get a second opinion. Discovering foundation damage sooner, rather than later, is less costly to repair and fix. For further questions about foundation damage or to arrange an in-home inspection, please call us at 210.485.1995 today!

When the spring months arrive in the state of Texas, you may find that your area receives heavy rainfall and other extreme weather conditions. By waterproofing your basement and scheduling foundation repair for your home, you can make sure that the lower levels of your home are protected from water damage during the spring season. A company that offers French drain installation in San Antonio will help you make sure that your property is ready to withstand heavy rain during the next few months. To highlight the importance of working with a reputable contractor, here is a look at some tips for protecting your foundation from water damage this spring.

Clean Your Gutters

You may be surprised to learn that one of the best ways to protect your foundation from water damage this spring is to make sure that your gutters are clean. During the winter months, falling leaves and tree branches can easily clog up your gutters or the downspout extension from your gutter. If you neglect to clean out your gutters properly, rainwater can flood the sides of your foundation.

Schedule Drainage Correction

Improper drainage can cause major water damage to your home’s foundation. If your property does not slope gently away from the sides of your foundation walls, you could be at risk of experiencing major flooding. With drainage correction services, your contractor will carefully adjust the slope of your property and make sure that rainwater is able to naturally flow away from your foundation. After your drainage correction services are completed, you can rest assured that your foundation is protected from damage.

San Antonio’s clay soil, persistent dryness, and high summer heat present a perfect storm for foundation damage. In order to do its job of supporting your home, the foundation must first be supported by the soil underneath it.

When summer temperatures hit in Texas, moisture located between soil particles can evaporate, causing those particles to fall together and “shrink” under your foundation. This kind of shrinking action can cause the foundation to rotate, drop, or both.

Issues can also be caused during times of intense storms accompanied by soaking rains. These conditions can cause shifting due to an excess of moisture between soil particles, which causes soil to become slippery and the foundation to shift.

Symptoms of a Foundation Shift

Albeit subtle, there are several symptoms which indicate a shifting or sinking foundation that’s in need of repair. These include:

• Cracks in interior drywall
• Buckling tile in the kitchen or bathroom
• Gaps around windows
• Doors that stick

None of these symptoms should ever be ignored, as they can lead to major damage and expensive repair to your home’s roof and plumbing. This is why it’s so important to have your foundation repaired as soon as possible.

Taking the First Step for Foundation Repair

If you are seeing the above symptoms of a shifting foundation, your first step is to contact a company experienced in foundation repair. They should send out a contractor who will conduct a thorough evaluation of your property, including the land situated around your home. This will allow him or her to evaluate both the cause and extent of the damage.

Common Repair Suggestions

It may be that your foundation will require leveling, which involves lifting your home and then stabilizing the foundation with piers. In other cases, soil can be a main culprit of foundation problems. Where this is the case, the drainage around your home may require adjustment and the soil stabilized to prevent future issues.

Prevention Options

Once you’ve called a reputable foundation repair company to fix your foundation, you can apply prevention measures to ensure that your foundation doesn’t shift in the future. If the cause of foundation shifting was excessive dryness, hydration of the soil around your home will be needed.

You can gauge the dryness of the soil by digging down six inches at your foundation. If the soil is very dry, your foundation will require hydration. However, you should dig down at your foundation and test the soil in this way at each side of your home because the conditions can and do vary.

If moisture is needed, you’ll need to run a soaker house approximately one foot away from the foundation, allowing the water to run until the soil is only moist.

Call the Professionals

MitchCo Foundation Repair has over 30 years of experience in foundation repair, as well as foundation restoration and maintenance services to customers in the San Antonio area. Call our office at (210) 485-1995 and discover how we can help keep your foundation in the best shape possible.

Mature trees provide your landscaping with undeniable appeal. However, if your trees are planted too close to your pier and beam foundation, you may start to experience issues with the structural integrity of your home. If tree roots have started to damage your pier and beam foundation in San Antonio , you will want to get in touch with a team of concrete contractors. With professional concrete repair and foundation maintenance, you can make sure that your tree roots are not affecting the durability of your foundation.

There are a few ways that mature tree roots can affect the integrity of your home’s foundation. When tree roots start to grow and spread, they can easily make their way through the soil that forms the base of your foundation. As the tree roots continue to grow, they may cause your foundation to shift, crack, and experience other serious issues. By planting trees within a safe distance from your foundation, you can ensure that your property is safe from structural harm.

Foundation repair issues can be a major inconvenience for any homeowner. In this video, you will take a look as the founder of MitchCo describes some of the most common foundation issues that are found in San Antonio homes. If you start to notice shifting window sills, foundation cracks, or other signs of foundation problems, you should schedule services with MitchCo’s foundation repair experts serving San Antonio.

As a general rule, it is also a good idea to schedule foundation inspections at least once a year. During your inspection, a team of concrete contractors will inspect your foundation for signs of structural issues. Using state-of-the-art construction methods, your MitchCo technicians will create a foundation that has been built to withstand the test of time.

When you invest in a new home or commercial property, it is essential to educate yourself about its various structural components. A pier and beam foundation is a common foundation style that is found in many properties around the country. A contractor that offers foundation repair and drainage correction serving San Antonio can make sure that your concrete foundation is being maintained correctly. To help you gear up for your next property purchase, here is a look at what every property owner should know about foundations.

The signs of foundation damage are easy to spot

As you are considering investing in a new building, you should be aware of any potential indicators of foundation damage. While a foundation inspection is the best way to unearth structural issues in a foundation, you may be able to notice the signs and symptoms of foundation issues on your own. If the building sags to one side, the foundation is starting to show visible cracks in the walls or doors are not closing properly, these are all indications of serious foundation damage.

Many foundation issues can be corrected with proper repairs

When you discover foundation problems in the building that you are thinking about purchasing, you should not necessarily be daunted by the prospect of performing foundation repairs. A foundation repair company can repair many different types of foundation problems and restore the structural integrity of the building. In fact, you might be able to get a good deal on a property that has visible signs of foundation issues.

Foundation repair serving San Antonio may seem like an extensive process, but it’s best to call your contractor and get started sooner rather than later. If you’ve suffered damage to your foundation, it might mean that you have a drainage problem that needs correcting. The cracks associated with foundation damage can reduce the curb appeal of your home, and the problem only stands to get worse as you wait. Take a look ahead for an overview of some of the top reasons why you shouldn’t delay foundation repairs.

Drainage Implications

A common cause of foundation damage is improper drainage. This means that moisture is settling on your property and affecting the soil around your foundation when it should be redirected to a safer place. Unfortunately, in this case, foundation repair is not all you have to worry about. Moisture that makes its way into the home can ultimately cause water damage, impact the indoor air quality in your household, and contribute to a mold problem. Your foundation repair specialist can take a look at your drainage and determine whether or not poor drainage was the cause of your foundation damage. Then he or she can set you up with drainage correction as well as foundation repair.

Aesthetic Setback

In addition to identifying and addressing drainage problems, you’ll want to call for foundation repair quickly in order to restore the appearance of your house. Foundation damage often shows as cracks in the walls of your basement or above your windows and doors. Severe cracks can take away from the aesthetics of your home, and they can show up on the inside or outside of your walls. This means that delaying foundation repairs can even affect your curb appeal.

Developing Problems

Just like most other problems, foundation damage will only get worse until you do something about it. The longer you wait, the worse the damage gets, and the more difficult it will be to fix. Talk to your contractor about foundation repair as soon as you notice the issue so you can make sure the problem gets better rather than worse.

Drainage correction serving San Antonio aims to help direct water away from the house so that it doesn’t settle around the foundation of your home. If you have interior or exterior basement waterproofing and an adequate drainage system as it is, chances are you don’t need drainage correction. Many homeowners don’t have adequate drainage, however, and this leads to a certain set of symptoms. Recognizing these elements is the first step in seeking drainage correction and avoiding a slew of problems. Keep reading for a look at some of the symptoms of settling that mean you need drainage correction.

When rainwater or water from your sprinkler rests around your house without being displaced, it can eventually seep into the soil and affect your foundation. This can bring about symptoms of settling, which happen when your foundation is no longer balanced. If you take a look around your house and notice cracks near your windows and doors, this may be a sign of settling. You could also find cracks in the walls of your basement or in your foundation itself, as well as water pooling around the home. If you notice these signs, be sure to call for drainage correction.

Foundation damage can make a massive impact on your home, but foundation repair serving San Antonio is not something you should undergo without a contractor. Foundation repair may not be the only service that your contractor offers, however. Your professional contractor may also help you with drainage correction so you can avoid foundation issues in the future, as well as waterproofing services that can keep your home dry, comfortable, and efficient. Here are a few reasons to call a foundation repair contractor.

Professional Foundation Repair

When you realize that you have foundation problems, you’ll want to figure out a solution as soon as possible. Foundation problems will make it difficult to use your doors and windows properly, as they might not align with their frames once the base of your home shifts. Unfortunately, foundation repair is not a task that you can take on by yourself. Thus, you will have to call your foundation repair contractor to ensure that the job is done properly. Make sure you choose a contractor that is licensed and insured, and work with professionals who will come back and check on your foundation in the future.

Efficient Drainage Correction

Many people experience foundation damage because they don’t have an efficient drainage system for their homes. This means that instead of directing water away from the base of the home, moisture is allowed to pool there. The good news is that your foundation repair contractor can offer drainage correction options like French drain installation. This ensures that any water collected in your gutters will be sent to a safe location rather than pooling around the home. With professional drainage correction from your foundation repair contractor, you can enjoy a dryer, a more sanitary, and a more structurally sound home.

Interior and Exterior Protection

Your foundation repair contractor may also provide you with interior or exterior basement waterproofing. This helps to prevent water from seeping into your foundation from the soil that surrounds it, which means you’ll be less likely to experience a mold problem in or around the home. Talk to your foundation repair specialist about your options.