What Is House Leveling in San Antonio and When Is It Needed?

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House leveling in San Antonio is a vital and necessary process of home maintenance, and ensures a home that’s dry and comfortable indoors as well as stable secure both inside and out! House leveling in San Antonio also protects a home’s foundation from damage, avoiding costlier repairs down the road.

While leveling a home in San Antonio is a vital part of its maintenance and offers many benefits to homeowners, it’s not unusual for someone to put off this work or assume a general contractor is sufficiently qualified. House leveling costs in San Antonio can also be somewhat pricey for many homeowners, but understanding the process of house leveling and its importance can help you decide on the best way of protecting your home and its financial investment.

What Is House Leveling in San Antonio?

House leveling in San Antonio is a form of foundation repair used to bring a home back to its original level, or as close as possible to that position. According to most standards, a slab home should not be more than 1.5 inches out of level! Once a section of the home begins to sink or sag, it’s vital that you schedule house leveling in San Antonio as soon as possible.

Methods of San Antonio house leveling vary according to the foundation type. Steel pilings inserted in areas along a pier and beam foundation help to keep the foundation level and even and provide added support and bracing. Mudjacking is an excellent choice for slab foundations; this process involves wet concrete injected into the foundation along various points. As the concrete dries, it expands, pushing the foundation back into a level position.

Piers, piles, and mudjacking are also used for a variety of foundations and house leveling needs. For example, a sinking or cracked concrete porch might be lifted and leveled with mudjacking, while piers give added bracing to slab foundations as well. A foundation repair contractor in San Antonio can determine the best choice for your home.

When Do You Need House Leveling in San Antonio?

The best way to determine if you need house leveling in San Antonio is to schedule a foundation inspection from a foundation repair contractor! He or she can note any unevenness and damage to a home’s foundation and measure the level of sinking exactly. A foundation repair contractor in San Antonio can also note the risk factors for your home, given the level of damage to a foundation.

However, a homeowner might also note some signs of needed house leveling in San Antonio, so you don’t put off this work and are sure to call a foundation repairperson as soon as possible:

• Visible cracks in the walls are one of the most obvious signs of needed house leveling in San Antonio and to overall foundation damage. When a home shifts, settles, or tilts, this puts undue stress on sections of interior walls which then tend to crack or split.
• Entryway doors and windows stick or refuse to close also typically mean that your house is sinking or sagging! When a door or window frame tips or tilts, the door or window pane might not go with it so that it then sticks inside the frame. If they all tilt together, the door or window might hang downward and be difficult to close.
• Gaps between walls and ceilings are also a sign of needed foundation repair. As a house shifts and sags, wall studs and other parts of its framework might pull away from roof beams and joists. You might then see cracks or gaps running along the top of the wall where it should meet the ceiling!
• Sloping floors and other unlevel surfaces in the home often typically mean that your house needs leveling. If items on shelves suddenly start to slide or look lopsided, or if you put a ball in the middle of a floor and it starts rolling on its own, you probably need house leveling in San Antonio!
• Swelling basement walls often indicate a sloping side of a house and the need for house leveling.
• Bowing or sagging wood floors in the home might indicate a sunken area that needs jacking up and leveling.

Note that many of these signs of needed house leveling in San Antonio might also indicate other structural problems or issues with building materials. For instance, sagging or sunken wood floors might indicate water damage to the wood, while cracks in the walls might be the result of poor-quality drywall or plaster installation. To ensure you know the reason for any of these issues inside the home, call a foundation repair contractor in San Antonio for a foundation inspection.

How Much Does House Leveling in San Antonio Cost?

Never put off needed foundation repairs simply because you’re afraid of the cost of house leveling in San Antonio! Many simple fixes for medium sized homes might cost no more than $1200 to $1500, or perhaps up to $3000 at most. Depending on the extent of damage and size of the home, some forms of house leveling in San Antonio might start at about $3000 and run to perhaps $5000.

Note, too, that a foundation contractor in San Antonio will want to determine the reason for damage to a home’s foundation and for it to sink or settle. In some cases, a home’s age might be the culprit, as the weight of the home pushes down on soft soil over time. In other cases, expanding soil, tree roots wrapped around the foundation, or poorly graded soil might cause foundation damage and eventual sinking.

The price for addressing these issues will affect the overall house leveling in San Antonio cost. No matter the cost, however, you want to ensure you get this work done as needed. Letting a house continue to sink and settle results in even greater damage down the road, both inside and outside the home, as well as the risk of trapped moisture and eventual mold growth, all of which are often more costly than house leveling in San Antonio.