Top to Bottom: How Roofing & Foundation Troubles Can Muck Up Your Home

The foundation and roof of your home are two of its most important parts. These are quite literally the two ends of a house. An issue with either can lead to huge issues and repair costs down the line. Here are a few ways that trouble with your foundation or roof can mean big problems for your home.

Don’t Forget the Foundation

The foundation of your home has such an audacious name because the whole house is built on it. Without a solid foundation, every other aspect of your home’s structure is at risk of failure. In fact, people often don’t even realize they have foundation problems until they start showing up in other areas of the building. These are some of the most common problems associated with foundation trouble:

• Cracks in Drywall: Your initial thought upon seeing a crack in your home’s drywall might be that it’s just old. You could also blame it on the person who put it in place. This excuse practically gives itself if you were the person to install the drywall. However, cracked drywall can be symptomatic of something much worse. It could mean that your foundation is shifting, and actually crumbling the walls.
• Water where You Don’t Want It: If you’re constantly finding water in your basement, it could very well be due to an issue with your home’s foundation. Moisture can quickly become a huge problem for home owners, as it rapidly leads to dangerous molds. There’s another reason why water can be a huge problem for you: It further adds to foundation problems. If water gets into cracks and then expands, it can make weaknesses in your foundation even worse.

If you see some of these signs while touring a potential new home, understand that fixing a foundation can be an expensive undertaking. You will absolutely need to have a home inspector take a look at the house before you make an offer. For people who already own a home, get a homeowners insurance quote online to see what plans cover foundation damage. It’s especially crucial for people who live in areas with regular seismic activity to have some form of insurance that covers their home’s foundation.

Respect Your Roof

The roof of your home is probably taken for granted more than any other part—except for possibly the foundation. When you’re used to something doing its job, you forget that your roof takes a lot of abuse from the elements. A failure in your roof can be catastrophic for your home and require custom contracting roofers to repair. Here are a few ways roof problems will affect your house:

• Damage to Attic and Ceiling: Drip. Drip. It’s one of the worst sounds you can hear as a homeowner. A leaky roof doesn’t just mean that you have to put out pails to catch the rain. Leaks lead to a whole host of issues. First, they can compromise the integrity of your roof and ceiling. This can quickly become extremely dangerous. As the water doesn’t just weaken your roof and ceiling, it makes them heavier. These variables can cause collapse if they are left unchecked for too long. Additionally, if you’re noticing a leaky roof, that means the water has already gone through your attic. That might not be the biggest deal to you if there’s nothing up there besides insulation. But a lot of people store family heirlooms in their attic. Roof damage can put your history at risk if it’s not fixed.
• Mold: As with foundation issues, water coming through a bad roof will soon breed mold. This isn’t something you want to mess around with, as black mold can cause some serious health problems.
• Potential Fire Risk: Water coming through the roof can also interfere with your home’s electrical system. If you have a leaky roof, don’t forget to have an electrician come out to make sure your wiring and electrical system is all safe.

Your roof is your first line of defense against rain, snow, sleet and other natural elements. Don’t neglect the importance of keeping it in good condition. For more information, check out this roofing guide.

While they are often ignored and underappreciated, the foundation and roof of your home are absolutely two of its most critical pieces. Keeping these aspects in working order will save you a lot of time, money and heartache down the road.