2 Types Of Temporary DIY Fixes That Will Lead To Major Problems With Your Home's Foundation

Posted on: 7 February 2023

If your home's floor has started to sag in the middle or has become uneven, you may have already come to the correct conclusion that the foundation is in bad shape. While looking through various do-it-yourself videos and home improvement websites, you may have come across a couple of projects that will help to level the floor without needing to do drastic repairs or call in a professional.

However, while these methods may result in a more level floor, these are only temporary fixes that could lead to more serious issues with the foundation. Below are a couple of types of temporary DIY fixes that will lead to major future problems with your home's foundation.

1. Constructing a Floating Sub-level

The first type of DIY fix you may be considering performing on your sagging and uneven floors is constructing a floating sub-level made from either concrete or wooden planks. The new floating level would serve as the floor, making it unnecessary to repair the foundation.

You may even think that you are taking the stress off the foundation because no one will be walking on it. However, no matter what material you use, the new floating floor will add additional weight to the already-damaged foundation, causing it to crack or crumble further. When it comes time to have the foundation fixed by a professional because the floating floor has failed, more extensive repairs would be needed.

2. Using Carpentry Lifts

The second type of DIY foundation repair that you may be thinking about attempting is using carpentry lifts. These lifts are placed at strategic spots under the floor to lift it off of the foundation and level it out.

While this may seem like a good idea that will relieve stress on the foundation, the lifts will take on the weight of the floor and dig into the soil. Especially if the problems with the foundation are caused by soil erosion and displacement, the weight from the lifts will only compound the issue, causing catastrophic damage that will require extreme measures such as the reconstruction of the foundation to repair.

While attempting to do temporary fixes yourself to repair your foundation may work in the short term, you may wind up causing catastrophic damage to the foundation that will require extensive professional work to repair. Such projects as constructing a floating floor or using carpentry lifts will only add to the underlying issues of the foundation's damage, such as crumbling from weight or shifting because of soil erosion. Instead of attempting to fix the foundation yourself, contact a foundation repair company to make an appointment to have them send someone out to inspect the structure and discuss with you what needs to be done to permanently fix it.

For more information, contact a foundation repair company near you.

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