Four Things To Inspect Before Buying a Home

Searching for a new home can be involved. There are many boxes to check on your list to make sure that your home-buying experience is a smooth one. An important aspect of buying your home is making sure that the investment you are making is a good one. You want to buy your home at a fair value, and a home’s value can drastically change because of several factors that are not as obvious as one might think. Here are four things to inspect before buying a home!

Many prospective homeowners don’t know just how much a home’s foundation, crawl space, basement, and concrete affect the home’s value. So we’ve created this guide that will help equip you to inspect a prospective new home. You will see what to look out for and see just how much you can save by identifying these issues before you purchase the home. Schedule an inspection and estimate with TFS today. Inspections are free for homeowners, and the best way to diagnose property damage.

Four Things To Inspect

 ONE: Sunken Floors

The first thing to inspect before buying a home is sunken floors. Do you notice a sunken floor in the home? This is a typical sign of foundation failure. Your floors will be bouncy, start to dip, or appear uneven to your eyes. Many people would overlook this issue and write it off as unimportant, but it is imperative to fix sunken floors as soon as you see them. There are a lot of possibilities for what could be causing sunken floors, but some of the most common reasons are a sunken foundation, rotten wood in the crawl space, water damage, or termites.

If you choose not to have the floors addressed, you are putting yourself in a spot to risk of foundation failure. In layman’s terms, you are risking having the floors of your home collapse if they are not replaced. Depending on the cause of the issue, the “fix” can look different. In some cases, it involves replacing the subfloor. With a different cause, it could look like hiring an exterminator. Sometimes, you might have to add support beams to stabilize your foundation.

How To Repair Sunken Floors

There are a variety of things you could do to make sure the foundation is secure. If you still want to purchase the home, you can make the homeowner fix the damages before selling it, or make them come down on the price to where you can take the leftover money and get the issues fixed yourself. Another great reason why you should inspect before buying a home.

At TFS, The Foundation Specialists, we use the industry-leading Smart Jack System to lift sunken floors.  Once our crew fixes the sunken floor, the change will be noticeable. Your floors will not be uneven, won’t sag, and won’t be bouncy when you walk over them. On the structural side, you can have full confidence in the structural integrity of your home, and do not have to worry about the safety of your home. The best way to know if your home needs this product is to inspect it before buying a home.

The SmartJack System

The SmartJack System is an innovative solution designed to lift and stabilize beams and floor joists within your crawl space. This system is particularly effective in addressing issues caused by weak foundation soils, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of your home. Here’s a breakdown of the key features and benefits of the SmartJack System:

Key Features

TWO: Mold in the Crawl Space

The second thing to inspect before buying a home is the growth in the crawl space. Most people try to stay out of their crawl space if they can help it. With it being small and dark, we can understand why people would want to stay out of it. However, if you are getting ready to buy a home, it is critical that you check out the crawl space to make sure that there isn’t mold or rot in the space. When you are in the crawl space, you can look at the wooden boards in the area and notice if they are rotted or not. If they are rotted, it is a sign that you could have mold or moisture in the space. When looking for mold, look for pools of water in the area. That can be a sign that mold is breeding in the crawl space.

Furthermore, the mold will sometimes create foul odors that are extremely noticeable. With rotted wood, you risk the physical safety of your family. If the wood that is holding up your home becomes weakened or damaged, the house could collapse on itself due to structural failure. With mold, you are risking long-term health effects. Most of the air you breathe in comes from the crawl space. So, if there is mold in the crawl space, you are breathing in mold, which WILL hurt your health. These are two great reasons to inspect before buying a home.

Solution To Mold in the Crawl Space

A dry crawl space is essential for maintaining a healthy and structurally sound home. Moisture in your crawl space can lead to a host of issues, including mold growth, structural damage, and unpleasant odors. To combat these problems, encapsulating your crawl space is a highly effective solution.

Crawl Space Encapsulation

Our Crawl Space Encapsulation System is designed to protect your home from the harmful effects of moisture. Here’s how our system works and why it’s the ideal choice for your home:

In the list of four things to inspect before buying a home, biological growth is one of the most detrimental to your health. Investing in a crawl space encapsulation system not only safeguards your home from moisture-related issues but also enhances its overall comfort and value. If you’re looking to protect your home, consider our encapsulation system as a reliable and long-lasting solution. Contact TFS, The Foundation Specialists, for a free home inspection and estimate (only applicable to homeowners).

THREE: Water in the Crawl Space or Basement 

The third thing to inspect before buying a home is water in the basement or crawl space. As a culmination of the previous two entries, looking for water in the crawl space is something that you NEED to look at before purchasing a home. As mentioned above, you will be able to notice pools of water in your crawl space. However, there are other signs that there is water or moisture in the crawl space. Sinking floors, as touched on above, bugs in the crawl space, rotted wood, and bulging walls can all be signs of water in your crawl space.

There are a number of ways that you can fix the issue of water in the crawl space. Putting a sump pump, which would suck moisture out of the air, in the area would be one way of doing it. Another option is to encapsulate your crawl space, which would make your crawl space immune to dampness. Along with taking the water out of your crawl space, an encapsulation would protect your home from low-quality air. It’s important to inspect a home before buying to check for water.

Why You Should Address This Issue

The differences you see in the home after addressing water in the crawl space are immaculate. Just some of the benefits you will see are lowered energy costs and being able to use the area as a storage space. Since there won’t be moisture or exposure to the natural ground in the crawl space, you can use the space. Lastly, you can protect your family, along with your most valuable asset. You won’t have to stress about invasive insects, dangerous breathing air, or an unstable foundation after fixing these issues.

First Solution: Downspout Extensions

Improper downspouts are often overlooked since it’s hard to tell if they are properly placed until you get a major rain or storm. When you have downspouts that are pushing water out too close to the home, you run into a scenario in which the water seeps into your crawl space and foundation. This water can pool up in the crawl space, rot the wood, and create an overall weakened foundation in your home.

The fix for downspouts is pretty simple. Our crew hand-dig trenches, lay pipe in the trench, put gravel in the trench to prevent water erosion to your soil, and connect the pipe to your downspouts. Our crew covers up the trenches so you can’t even notice that the landscape has been altered. What you WILL notice, though, is that the water runs off at a different location on your property, one that won’t damage your foundation.

The cost is a few thousand dollars, but the impact is priceless. By directing the water to an area away from your foundation, you are adding years to your house. At TFS, The Foundation Specialists, we offer free inspections and estimates for homeowners. You won’t have to worry about cracked walls, sinking floors, rotting wood, or mold since you won’t have water seeping into your house’s structure.

Second Solution: The Sump Pump System

The TFS Triple Sump Pump System is a reliable water management system for your home. Keeping your crawl space or basement dry is crucial for maintaining the overall health and integrity of your home. The TFS Triple Sump Pump System is designed to tackle this challenge effectively. Here’s how it benefits your home:

In summary, the TFS Triple Sump Pump System is a must-have for any homeowner looking to protect their basement or crawl space from water damage. Its expert engineering, efficient water removal capabilities, reliable battery backup, and supportive warranty make it a top choice for maintaining a dry and healthy home environment. Receive a free inspection as a homeowner with TFS, The Foundation Specialists.

FOUR: Cracks In The Wall or Ceiling

The fourth thing to inspect before buying a home is cracks in the walls, brick, or sticking doors and windows. Cracks are one of the signs that would be harder for a homeowner to hide, but you should still keep your eyes peeled during inspection. Look closely at corners, walls, and ceilings throughout and outside the home to look for both vertical and horizontal cracks in the foundation. If the home has brick, you will see noticeable cracks in the brick if there are foundation issues. Whether outside, inside, or in the ground, most cracks are a sign of potential foundation repair being needed.

There are a variety of meanings in the cracks that you can see. The outcomes, if left unattended, can range from partial collapse, pooling of water in the crawl space or basement, erosion of soil, or the structure settling. Simply put, the integrity of your home is at risk if you allow cracks in the walls and ceilings to remain unattended. This is one of the hardest signs to catch and a great reason to inspect before buying a home.

What To Do

Not every crack is a sign of immediate failure. Houses are complex structures that are built on ever-changing surfaces. So, while you shouldn’t hit the panic button at the sign of a crack, you need to keep your eye on it. At TFS, The Foundation Specialists, we offer free inspections and estimates for homeowners. Do not allow a homeowner to understate the severity of the issue when they are selling the house. A foundation specialist should be called to take a look at the issue. Just because a home needs repair doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy it.

Repair Products: Push Piers and Helical Piers

When it comes to maintaining the structural integrity of your home, two key products stand out in foundation repair: Push Piers and Helical Piers. Our manufacturers design both products to address unique challenges and provide long-lasting solutions for foundation stabilization. It’s important to inspect before buying a home and see if these products are necessary.

Push Piers

Push Piers are a crucial component in foundation repair, especially for homes experiencing significant settlement issues. Our manufacturers construct the piers from rugged steel. Piers are built to be driven deep into the earth until they reach stable, load-bearing strata or bedrock. Here’s how they benefit your home:

Helical Piers

Helical Piers are versatile and effective for both heavy and light structures. They are particularly useful for projects like stoops, decks, and wing walls. Here’s why they’re a preferred choice:

Both Push and Helical Piers are essential tools in foundation repair, offering robust solutions to ensure the long-term stability and safety of your home. By choosing the right product for your specific needs, you can protect your investment and maintain the structural integrity of your property.

Foundation repair prices cannot be generalized. Everything is subject to the condition of the house, the location, the size, and things of that nature. At TFS, The Foundation Specialists, we offer free inspections and estimates for homeowners. We can say for certain that the longer you allow the problem to simmer, the more expensive it will be. The sooner you can identify and fix these issues, the more money you will save. This is why it’s important to inspect before buying a home!

Next Steps

Purchasing a home is a large investment! You should make sure that you are comfortable with the safety of your home. Never feel bad for being detailed when you inspect before buying a home. A home is an expensive investment, most do not want to spend thousands of dollars AFTER the sale because of something that wasn’t found during the pre-sale inspection. Protect your most valuable asset home, by scheduling a free inspection with TFS, The Foundation Specialists, today!

You deserve to spend more time enjoying your home than worrying about its safety of your home.

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