Do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement projects are a great weekend hobby. If you want a new porch or guest bathroom, there are even prepackaged kits at the hardware store to get you started. But DIY foundation repairs are a different story.

Your home’s foundation is the support upon which everything else rests. And once you break out your tools, you expose yourself to a number of risks, including:

• Personal injury
• Property damage
• Higher costs

DIY Foundation Repair & Personal Injury

When repairing your home’s foundation, one of the biggest risks is personal injury – both during the repairs and after. Structural supports and beams could buckle. Ceilings or floors could cave in. Electrocution is a risk, too, specially if your repairs expose hidden wires or cause serious water damage.

Under the most extreme examples, houses have been known to collapse completely due to improper foundation repairs. A foundation repair is a classic example of the old truth “What you don’t know can hurt you.”

DIY Foundation Repair & Property Damage

Another risk is property damage to your home’s foundation or other parts of your home. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you may inadvertently make the problem worse. Ask yourself the following:

• Do you know proper water drainage techniques or how to mix cement to precise, code-compliant specifications?
• Are you qualified to assess contour lines with laser technology and CAD software?
• Do you understand the load-bearing capacity of each support beam in your home?

If you answered “no” to any of the above, there’s a high probability that you’ll cause serious damage to your home and its foundation.

DIY Foundation Repair Costs

Price is often a reason for DIY home improvement projects. After all, why hire a middleman when you can do the job yourself? But when it comes to foundation repair, the DIY route is not the money-saver you might think it is.

For starters, does your home’s foundation even need fixing? Cracks and shifts may indicate a problem. But they could also signal that your home is simply settling. Before unleashing your inner weekend warrior, a quick call to Foundation Repair Specialists might help you avoid unnecessary repairs.

Next, are you sure that you can fix the problem? Remember that amateur repairs and property damage often go hand-in-hand. After spending money on DIY modifications, be prepared to hire a professional repair team to clean up your mess.

Lastly, are your repairs code-compliant? When selling your home in states like North Carolina and South Carolina, certified foundation inspections require approval from licensed engineers.

For Foundation Repairs, Always Consult with a Professional

If you’re accustomed to tackling major home improvement projects on your own, foundation repairs may seem tempting. But given the higher cost and greater risk (to person and property), you’re better off consulting with a licensed professional who can:

• Determine whether or not repairs are warranted in the first place
• Recommend the best course of action if your foundation needs fixing
• Repair the foundation in a safe, cost-effective, and code-compliant manner

Don’t put yourself or your home at risk; fill out our foundation repair estimate request form, or call us:

Charlotte: 704-545-0206
Asheville: 828-274-2101
South Carolina: 803-802-2477