Benefits of House Underpinning
There are some signs that point to potential house foundation problems. Some of these signs include separation of the roofline of your house, gaps around fixtures such as windows and doors, and cracks in the walls, both interior and exterior. Natural factors such as the type of soil in your home, the water table depth, and the level of water drainage can affect your foundation especially when the soil subsides. Foundation problems will compromise the safety of your house. Fortunately, your house can be underpinned to solve the problem. This process involves digging into your basement or foundation, finding the problem, remedying it, and stabilising the soil. This is not the only benefit of underpinning. Read on to find out more.
Underpinning Is an Effective Way to Make Other Repairs in Your Home
One of the biggest advantages of underpinning is that it gives you the opportunity to make other repairs that will ensure your home is even more functional. This is basically because the digging process will usually expose hidden fixtures and systems in your home. This is cost effective especially if you live in an old house because you can repair or upgrade your old electrical, insulation, or plumbing systems without. Digging through your foundation after underpinning in order to do such repairs and upgrades may not only interfere with the integrity of the underpinning but will also be costly.
Underpinning Gives You More Space
Another benefit that comes with underpinning is that it helps create more space for your home. First, since underpinning involves digging through your foundation, it helps create more ground space in your basement. With the extra space, you can turn your basement into a more functional room. For instance, you could use it as a rental space, an additional bedroom, or even convert it into an office.
If you don't have a basement, then underpinning will increase the headroom or ceiling height in your home. More headroom is important, especially if your house felt slightly cramped. Sometimes having lighting fixtures too low can make the room feel somewhat hotter if you don't have an air conditioning unit because these fixtures usually emit some level of heat. However, this will depend on the kind of lighting you are using.
In case you have plans to offer your house up for sale, underpinning can enhance its value. This is because the house will have better functionality due to the extra space and additional strength, which are some of the major things a potential buyer would look at.