If you have noticed cracks in the foundation of your house, and they go down the walls into the basement, you need to get the damages assessed quickly. This could be compromising the safety of your home and those that live inside it.

This could also be allowing water and pests inside the house. Here are some of the things that you want to talk with a professional about, so you can get the damages assessed and repaired as quickly as possible.

Find Foundation Contractors

Foundation contractors are the only professionals you should allow in your home to go over the damages. These professionals should be:

• Licensed
• Bonded
• Rated by the BBB
• Experienced

Foundation work can be complicated and needs to be repaired properly for the house to be safe and structurally secure. The professionals should carry their own insurance and have references.

Get more than on opinion and estimate from at least two different foundation contractors in your area before beginning the repair work. Set the budget from the project and go from there hiring the right team for your job.

Evaluate Secondary Damages

You need to have the secondary damages explored after the foundation is fixed. Because of cracked and shifting foundation, you may have:

• Damaged drywall and cracks
• Shifted or damaged pipes
• Roofing issues
• Water damage in the home

Since you are investing the money and time into fixing the foundation, make sure that other damages that resulted in the foundation cracks are repaired right away as well. If there is a pest infestation you want this treated fast.

Seal the Foundation

Ask the foundation contractor about getting the foundation sealed on the exterior and interior while they are doing the work. This can help to prevent water from seeping through, which can compromise the structure of the concrete foundation.

The foundation of your home may shift over time because of the soil around the house and the weather, but if the contractors think this was caused by negligent homeownership or water leaking, follow through with all recommendations.  You do not want this to be a problem again in the future.

There are a lot of issues that can result when you have a home with a cracked and damaged concrete foundation, and you don't want to wait until it's too late to call for help. Meet with foundation contractors and find out how bad the damage is, and what it will cost to get everything repaired.

For more information about foundation repair, contact a local service like Du-West Foundation Repair.