Are you planning to sell your home this spring or even in the next year? If you are, you’ve probably been thinking about what you need to fix to get the best price for your home. If you walk around your home and see a crack in the foundation, what does that mean? Do you have structural problems? Has that taken thousands of dollars off the price of the house? Can you even sell the house now?
Before you panic, you should call a structural engineer. I know when you hear “engineer” you also hear “expensive,” but it doesn’t have to be. You might consider calling a foundation repair company, skipping the middleman, and saving some money. But what if you really don’t have the problem you think you do?
These are photos of cracks in a foundation. You can obviously see that they are different severities. Instead of calling a repair company, it might save you money in the long run to find out if the crack is really something to be worried about. A structural engineer will be able to tell you whether or not you need to be concerned. Additionally, fixing the crack might not actually fix the problem. Calling an engineer will help you to correctly diagnose the source of the problem. If you don’t treat the true cause, you will probably end up with another crack shortly after fixing the first one.
Additionally, if you have any foundation concerns before selling a house, a structural assessment performed by an engineer is the best way to go. This may reassure any potential homebuyers that the cracks aren’t caused by major foundation issues, or if they are, that you have fixed the root of the problem.
Southeast Engineers is a market leader in a wide range of engineering services. From engineering design to plan development, permitting, and construction management, Southeast Engineers has the expertise and commitment to assure success in commercial, residential, and site development projects. For more information please visit http://seengineers.com/
