Underpinning is a term you may have heard before helpful resources. It’s a term that sounds like construction jargon. And let’s face it, most of the time, it is. Knowing when to use it will save you money and pain. Imagine that you have just purchased a beautiful old house. However, it is slowly sinking into the earth. The foundation looks like a cracked old cracker. Underpinning is the solution.
It is important to strengthen and stabilize the foundation. You can think of it as giving your home a sturdy pair of boots that will help you stand tall. You can lift the sinking ship in several ways. The choice is based on the cause of your house’s slouch. It can be poor soil, or it could just be age.
Remember the time when my uncle Jerry built a house in a tree? He did not give much thought to the foundation. He was satisfied with a hefty branch. Gravity took over after a few weeks. This treehouse fell faster than you could say “Oops.” The lesson is: always consider the foundation. We can’t afford to just wing it.
How do you know if your house requires underpinning? If your doors and windows are jammed, they could be telling you something. Cracks in the foundation can be the culprit. If your floors feel like they are on a rollercoaster, this is a huge red flag.
Not just old houses. If someone digs a huge hole nearby for a new building, it may be necessary to underpin the foundation of a newly constructed building. Your fortress begins to teeter as the ground shifts. That’s a headache in the making.
Think of your house as a strong fortress. You wouldn’t build your castle on quicksand would you? Regular checks can help. A professional opinion can be very helpful. Specialists can use gadgets that are like something out of a sci-fi movie to check if the ship is sinking.