Planning a room addition or kitchen/bath remodel is exciting and fun but, before you get started, I would urge you to have your foundation examined before moving forward. On top of finding and fixing current foundation issues, you want to consider how remodeling could affect your foundation in the future. Fixing foundation issues before starting you remodel will keep you from possibly having to fix what was remodeled, costing you time and more money. Having an engineer give you an idea of what should be done to help your foundation withstand the new improvements is a wise idea. Lets take this hypothetical situation based on the photos below… This kitchen remodel is all you! You made every decision, from the granite counter tops to the stone wall treatment. It is beautiful and you are now the envy of all your friends and family. Unfortunately you did not consider the fact that between the wall treatment, tile, and new counter tops there is a lot more weight on the foundation that was not there before. Unbeknownst to you, your home was not built on soil with the capacity to bear this type of load and this has caused the center wall of the house to settle. Over the next few years you start seeing your stone wall treatment cracking and separating. After having out a local contractor you find out your home requires piers to raise the wall back to where it belongs and this further breaks up the stone wall treatment. On top of now having to pay for piers, which can be costly, you have to also fix your wall treatment.
Photo for remodeling found at kitchen.lovaninc.com
If this hypothetical situation gave you some anxiety about starting your room remodel, don’t fret. Call an Engineer to come take a look and give you some expert advice. You should know that this might cost you in the range of $250 to $450. If you already know your foundation has structural problems, give Foundation 1 a call and we’ll pay to have an Engineer out for you.*
*The providing of a Structural Engineer by Foundation 1 is based on geographic location and foundation type.