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Most people buy a property because they fall in love with it and it offers the space and character you need to create a home for you and your family. But do you ever consider the structural integrity of your home?
A property is more than just a home, it is also an investment. With the right maintenance your home increases in value while giving you a place of protection from bad weather and other issues.
Unfortunately, for this to happen you must build your home well. Poor design or construction results in structural issues which is very expensive to repair. If you haven’t yet considered this option, we suggest that you continue reading for the steps to inspecting the structural integrity of your home.
Do You Know How To Check The Structural Integrity Of Your Home? Follow These Steps!
1. Professional help.
The most obvious starting point is to bring in professionals. They visually inspect the house and perform an array of tests, including magnetic particle testing. This allows them to identify the existing issues. They then tell you about the problem, discuss how serious it is, and look at your available options.
If you opt for a structural inspection by a professional, it is a good idea to have another one done every 3-5 years. This will help to ensures that you spot the issues early enough to give you time to rectify them.
2. Visual inspections.
One of the biggest clues that your property has a structural issue is cracks. Carefully look around the inside and outside of your home. If you see any cracks that are wider than 3-5mm you may have a structural issue.
This is more likely if the cracks are going horizontally across your building. This indicates part of the building has sunk slightly causing stress on the brickwork of the house.
3. Look at your porch.
Another sure sign that you have an issue is when the porch appears to be separating from the house. In most cases, the porch is created after the main house. This means it has a separate foundation. When the foundation on the house sinks slightly it creates strain on the porch join. This will often crack and start to pull away.
The question you need to be answered is whether the house foundation is simply settling or is an indication of subsidence.
4. Sticky doors and windows.
When a property is built all the doors and windows are hung square. That means there are no gaps around them and they will open and close easily. However, when doors and windows start to stick you know that the frame is no longer square. In addition, you may even notice cracks or small gaps around the window or door.
This tells you the house has shifted, potentially the result of a structural issue. It will need to be investigated further.
6. Uneven floors.
Your floors should all be set to the same level. If this has changed and the floor is uneven then you are likely to have a settling issue. All houses settle after being built. But, if they settle unevenly additional strain is placed on the walls and this can cause significant issues in the future.
In conclusion.
If you notice an issue, don’t delay. Get professional advice and resolve it as soon as possible. If you have any questions or suggestions, we always love to hear from you in the comments below. Also below are links to more fantastic articles about ALL things DESIGN for your home or business.
Images Courtesy of Canva.
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About the Author: Ashley Edwards
