Foundation Myths That Could Cost You Thousands

Myths are part of our very nature as human beings. We are innate storytellers. A long time ago myths were our primary way of making sense of the universe around them. Created not by ignorance but by the need to map meaning into the unknown and answer our anxieties. They worked as social glue, allowing groups of people to cooperate, build cultures and pass down wisdom. Even today we still continue to create myths; just look at pop culture all around us! This blog has had a share of those touches or references; sometimes for humorist purposes, some other times as examples or comparisons.

However, sometimes there are certain myths that are so often repeated that we take them as gospel truth without questioning them. They might involve monsters, ancient civilizations and technologies, or visitors from outer space. And then there are foundation myths.

Foundation Repair has its own catalogue of ‘common knowledge’ things like cracks always meaning foundation problems, how old houses are supposed to move, the more the piers the better and cheapest estimates being the smartest choice to make.

The problem is that some of these assumptions can lead homeowners to spend money unnecessarily. Or worse, delay dealing with a problem that actually needs attention.

So today let’s put on our metaphorical forensic anthropologists hats, examine the evidence and separating foundation fact from foundation fiction.

Myth 1: ‘One crack, one foundation problem’

Starting with the most common one.

Concrete naturally cracks. Drywall cracks. Materials shrink and expand. Concrete can develop shrinkage cracks during curing, and small cosmetic cracks aren't automatically evidence of structural movement.

As we’ve said before, it’s not the cracks, but the story they tell.

Things like where, how wide, what direction, is it growing or are there other symptoms nearby are what’s important here.

Never forget that a crack tells very little. A pattern over time, is much more revealing.

Myth 2: ‘My house is old, movement comes with the territory’

This one is important because of the subtle truth inside them myth. Older homes can naturally have more cosmetic imperfections. Materials age, houses settle and repairs accumulate over time. Not to mention that construction standards have change through the years.

But it is essential to keep in mind that age doesn’t automatically explain away new movement.

A 40-year-old house can develop foundation problems today because of changing drainage, plumbing leaks, landscaping, weather changes and soil movement.

Remember? ‘Its not the years, Honey. It’s the milage’

Old doesn't necessarily mean broken. But old doesn't mean immune to problems either.

Myth 3: ‘A foundation should never move.’

While it might be counter-intuitive that a house should move, the truth is that a foundation doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It sits on soil, which responds to moisture, temperature and environmental conditions.

Some movement is not only expected, but natural. The concern arises when the movement becomes excessive, uneven and/or progressive.

A little seasonal movement may be perfectly normal. But if one section of the house moves significantly more than another, or the movement continues to worsen, that's when calling for an inspection makes sense.

It’s not about stillness, but about balance.

Myth 4: ‘The more piers, the merrier’

The idea that more piers means a better repair can be a (monetary) trap for a homeowner. And while at first it might seem reasonable we have to remember that foundation repair isn’t a contest to see who can install the most piers.

The purpose of a pier is to provide support where it's needed and the correct number and placement depend on things such as the design of the foundation, load distribution, soil conditions, location and extent of movement and structural requireements.

When repairing a foundation there are some basic questions that need to be thoroughly considered: why these piers, why these locations and why this number?

Myth 5: ‘If the crack isn't getting bigger, my worry shouldn’t be getting larger”

Not necessarily. Sometimes a small cosmetic crack may not require anything more than monitoring. But!

But stability is not the only thing to consider. Maybe the crack isn’t changing, but maybe it is accompanied with some water intrusion, uneven floors or sticking doors or drainage problems.

So it is not a ‘if it doesn’t grow, its fine’. That’s the sort of stuff obsolete T-Rex theories are made of. Instead it should be a ‘it’s useful to know it is not growing, now let’s look at the rest of the story.

Myth 6: ‘Foundation problems are caused by bad construction.’

Myths with grains of truth are the hardest to discern fact from fiction.

Construction quality obviously matters. But a properly constructed home can still develop foundation problems years later because the conditions around it change.

Think about water, soil, foundation and structure as parts of an interconnected system. Each reacting to changes in the other.

A plumbing leak can change moisture beneath one part of a home. A tree can alter moisture distribution. A downspout can dump hundreds of gallons of water beside the foundation during a storm. A drought can dramatically dry the soil.

The foundation may simply be responding to those conditions. We have to keep in mind that sometimes the foundation might not be were the problem beings, just where the symptoms first appear.

Myth 7: ‘First I repair the foundation, then I worry about drainage.’

Sometimes the foundation genuinely needs structural stabilization. But sometimes water management is the most important part of correcting the conditions that caused the movement, or preventing further movement.

There are many ways this can be dealt with (And we offer all these services as well. Handy, isn’t it?). Things like extending downspouts, correcting grading, improving drainage, adjusting irrigation, repairing plumbing leaks and managing soil moisture

And sometimes both structural repair and water management are necessary.

Don't treat the foundation while ignoring what's happening around it, or as Palpatine would put it: you’d be ‘only delaying the inevitable!’

Myth 8: ‘The cheapest estimate is the best deal.’

Three companies might give you three different prices because they aren't necessarily proposing the same thing.

One estimate might include: drainage correction, structural stabilization, additional support, warranty and follow-up work while another may only address the most obvious symptom.

We always tell our potential costumers to feel free and compare with other foundation repair companies. But don’t compare $X vs. $Y. Instead compare what is being diagnosed, what is being repaired and why, what is included and what happens afterward.

Myth 9: ‘Foundation problems are a DIY project.’

DIY is great for: documenting cracks, monitoring changes, checking gutters, inspecting downspouts, observing drainage, maintaining landscaping, controlling irrigation and spotting early warning signs. Heck, we’ve pretty much have an article telling you how to do each of these yourselves.

But you have to know what you can do and what an expert should do. Professional help is appropriate for: diagnosing structural movement, determining the cause of significant movement, designing a stabilization system, installing structural supports and evaluating serious or progressive symptoms

Myth 10: ‘If nothing looks seriously wrong, I can ignore it.’

The problem with foundation issues isn't necessarily that they're dramatic. Often, they're slow. So slow that sometimes you completely normalize this small signs and symptoms. Something small that does not necessarily mean catastrophe, but they are worth noticing.

And that's really what the whole mission of this blog series has been about: To give you knowledge. And knowledge will give you options. The earlier you understand what's happening, the more informed your decisions can be.

Foundation myths tend to survive because they contain just enough truth to sound convincing. Houses do move, cracks can be cosmetic, older homes can have imperfections and not every foundation problem requires the same repair.

The trick is knowing where the myth ends and the actual evidence begins. That's why paying attention to patterns, understanding your home's environment and asking the right questions can save you from both unnecessary repairs and delayed ones.

At iFix, our goal isn't simply to tell you that something is wrong with your foundation, but to understand why it's happening, explain what we're seeing in plain English, and help you determine what, if anything, needs to be done.