Does your foundation seem water damaged? This article will demonstrate how to replace a water damaged 2×4 footer.
The foundation is a vital component of the overall structure of your house. It can do the job of keeping moisture out of the home and provides a flat platform to construct a house.
Footer is a significant structural component of any house. The footer is the only component of the house that touches the earth most of the time.
They are also known as spread footers because they lay out the weight of the house, allowing them to stick to the ground. The best analogy for this one is when you push a knife through a stick of butter.
Try putting the knife’s edge. As you can see, you may push the knife into the butter with relative ease, but if you turn the knife sideways, the wide blade is now in contact with the butter, and you won’t be able to press the blade into the butter unless the butter has a meltingly soft texture.
The wide face of the blade spreads out the downward force over a bigger area, just like the footer. A footing or step footer can be at different levels.
If you see a complex footer, it can appear as if it looks like a set of steps as the footer changes elevation, and that’s why it’s called a step footer.
The footer is mandatory when a building doesn’t have a full foundation. One example is a house with a full basement and a garage next to it.
Can Water Damage Harm A House’s Foundation?
Water damage to a home’s foundation can negatively impact the stability of your house. It can lead to bent walls, cracks, or the worst-case scenario, the collapse of the home itself.
Water damage can occur to a home’s foundation in various ways. A soil becomes weak when water drenches the soil surrounding the house, and it happens as a result of floods, thawing snow, damaged water lines, and plumbing leaks.
Here are the three primary ways water can affect the soil surrounding your house.
1. Hydrostatic pressure
Hydrostatic pressure pertains to the force exerted by water on a particular surface. When water accumulates around the house due to circumstances like flooding and plumbing leaks, this forms hydrostatic pressure on the foundation of the structure.
Hydrostatic pressure can be dangerous since it may cause foundations to fracture, resulting in foundation leakage.
2. Expansive soil
You may observe expansive soils in almost every place. Expansive soils incorporate minerals capable of absorbing water.
The more water absorbed, the more significant the increase in the soil’s volume—this type of soil presses upon the foundation, causing cracks in the floor and walls.
This cycle of expansion and contraction puts significant stress on houses. The damage may get more severe over time, so water mitigation at the foundation is necessary.
3. Erosion of soul
Rainwater has the potential to wash away the soil that maintains the foundation eventually. Many homeowners easily overlook the symptoms of water damage in the house’s foundations until they are severe enough to need professional intervention.
What Are The Early Signs Of Foundation Water Damage?
You should note several indicators to evaluate if water has caused damage to your foundation. Here are some tips to determine the early warnings of water damage in your foundation.
Formation of cracks
The presence of cracks in the foundation may indicate water damage. These cracks may appear both inside and outside of your house.
Sagging floors, horizontal cracking, and stair-step fractures in the corners indicate severe structural issues. If you happen to see any of these warning signs, you must contact a water restoration expert to check whether it’s foundation damage.
Pooling water in the basement
Water accumulating in the basement may signal a plumbing problem. It’s essential to check for damaged pipes and malfunctioning equipment.
The possible cause of this could be water seeping into fractures from the foundation or rainwater from the roof. Water pooling in your basement after severe rain is most likely a result of the two scenarios aforementioned.
Water accumulation in windows and doors
If you see that your doors and windows are not opening or closing correctly, it’s possible that there’s a sign of damage caused by water accumulation. An excessive amount of water can cause warping in your windows and doors.
In any event, it’s crucial to ensure that you insulate and close your doors and windows properly. If you don’t, the consequences will be mold, water damage, and repair bills.
Traces of mold
A mold needs two things to survive: moisture and organic matter. A trace of mold can be a sign of water damage.
Even if you can’t see some of them, you’ll undoubtedly recognize the moldy odor, which can result from foundation fracture. Another indication of water damage is soggy and moldy wood.
Methods To Strengthen Your House’s Foundation
If you think your house’s foundation is water damaged, it’s about time to consider various solutions that may allow you to repair them. The right method depends on your residential structure.
1. Underpinning
This method can increase your foundation’s depth or repair it if it has significant water damage. Consider this method if your house has cracks wider than ¼ of an inch.
Several types of underpinning include mass pour, pile and beam, screw piles and brackets, and piled raft.
2. Jacketing of foundations
This method is advisable if there are columns that need strengthening. If you’re adding additional load to the wall through expansions, this is a must.
To perform this method, a team of professionals will construct a concrete jacket for the footings of the building.
Conclusion
Now that you have an insight into how to replace a water damaged 2×4 footer, you can do the job immediately if you have a water damage problem in your house’s foundation. Always keep in mind the early signs of water damage to help you determine when to call for help.
For more related articles, you may click these articles to learn what happens if your home is water damaged and how to repair water damaged floating floorboards.