You’ve got a historical home that you adore, but with that historical feel are, well, some interesting issues that sometimes arise. Because of different building techniques that were used over the centuries, there are a wide range of issues that you may see with the stability of your foundation and basement. Fortunately, there are ways to handle these issues, keeping your older home in fabulous shape.
Basement and Foundation Stabilization in Older Homes
Because of the materials, techniques, and standards that have been used over time in historic homes, you may wonder whether the issue you’re facing is structural or simply the way the house is built. Unfortunately, unless you have the diary of a predecessor complaining about the dining room door sticking in the 1800s, you may not know. Sticking doors or windows are often a sign of a sagging wall, where the foundation isn’t providing sufficient support.
Construction techniques have also changed over time. Posts and piers may be used to support parts of the floor, especially after the initial construction. These updates may have shims between posts and piers to correct settlement, piers don’t have a footing to distribute the weight, allowing it to settle, or the original posts have been replaced over time with materials that aren’t standing the test of time.
Shear paneling is another construction technique you may see, where a framed wall is used on a sloped lot to reduce the amount of concrete used to build crawl space walls. Unfortunately, if proper bracing isn’t used, they can collapse. Similarly, foundation bolts weren’t required to secure the upper framing to the lower foundation until 1949, and footings often weren’t poured below the frost line, which can lead to shifting and heaving, compromising your foundation’s stability.
When you start to see basement and foundation stabilization issues in your Rochester historic home, it’s important to address these issues sooner rather than later - starting at the foundation. At Storm Basement Waterproofing, we’ve worked with a wide range of foundation types around the Rochester area. Our basement and foundation stabilization and repair experts are happy to work with you to ensure that your historic home survives long into the future. Contact us today to get started!
