Potential Cosmetic Damage Due to Foundation Lifting

Why are there potential cosmetic damages due to the lifting process?

Cosmetic damage is possible, but not common.

Settlement can occur over a relatively long period of time. As the foundation settles due to hydrocompactible soil, or other active soil conditions, the wood framing bends and flexs to compensate for the additional stress being placed upon it. The foundation is no longer supporting the full weight of the structure levelly, so drywall cracks, doors stick, and other cosmetic problems occur. Most homeowners repair these problems without attributing the root cause to foundation settlement.

In some cases, fixing the door so that it opens is actually masking the fact that the home is now out of level condition. If the problems continue to reappear, additional repairs and alterations may occur. Naturally, the home will change hands about every 3 to 5 years and the history about these changes can be lost, or forgotten. Generally, a homeowner will discover a crack in the foundation and call us to determine the scope of the damage.

At this point, a foundation repair Design Specialist will offer you two options: stabilization or lift. A responsible foundation repair company should always caution you that there is the potential for cosmetic damage with a lift. Naturally, you ask why. While you may experience settlement that takes years to occur, our solution will recover most of that settlement in a matter of minutes.

For this reason, some cosmetic damage is possible as the home moves back to level condition. In some cases, that means cracked drywall and in others, it can mean that tile, or other rigid structures may shift or break. Normally this occurs because the home has had repairs made as the home was moving out of level.

If the you're aware that your home has had extensive cosmetic repair work done, stabilization without lifting may be the preferred method. How long should I wait after a lift before I can patch drywall and do cosmetic repairs?

In cases where the foundation is stabilized but not lifted, cosmetic repairs can be done immediately after the work is completed. If a lift is achieved, it can take several months for wood framing to relax into its new position. For this reason, it can be beneficial to wait several months before doing repairs. The more lift that is achieved, the more likely cosmetic damages could re-occur due to relaxing wood framing.