As a house ages and settles the foundation can become damaged, this is inevitable. The first thing a company that specializes in foundation repair services in Philadelphia does is to assess the severity of the damage as well as the cause. The typical approach to the problem is to solve the source of the damage and then turn towards fixing the damage.
One very common cause of foundation damage is age. In years gone by many basement walls were built up with stone and brick all bonded together using mortar. Over time the mortar breaks down and the walls begin to leak. Stone or brick foundation repair is not overly difficult if the wall retains its structural integrity, the old mortar can be chipped out and quite easily be replaced using a tuck-point trowel. This is not the case if the old wall is seriously sagging, there is a good chance a contractor that offers foundation repair services in Philadelphia will have to replace the wall or tie the existing wall to a new concrete foundation. It can be a very serious situation if the part of the wall that is sagging is load bearing.
Another common cause of basement foundation damage is water. If water gets down between the exterior of the basement wall and the surrounding back-fill it can place pressure on the wall and cause cracking. In the event this happens it is important that the cause is rectified and the cracks repaired, this is especially true in cold climates where the water can freeze and thaw, this only causes the cracks to open, damaging the foundation even more. It is possible to repair small cracks with sealing material that is available from any DIY shop. Larger cracks need to be filled with hydraulic cement; this material expands outwards, placing pressure in the crack, effectively sealing it from any further leaking.
It will be necessary to call for foundation repair services in Philadelphia for very large cracks. Large cracks often are the first evidence of serious structural problems. Although floor cracks can be problematic, they are not nearly as serious as cracks in any of the load bearing structural components.
If water is seeping through the wall this usually indicates that the exterior waterproofing membrane was either improperly applied when the house was built or it has deteriorated with age. Whatever the cause this material must be replaced and at the same time the soil around the basement walls needs to be graded so it falls away from the house.
