B-Dry^® Waterproofing Blog

Four miles below Mineral, VA an earthquake made itself known to people spanning from Maine, Michigan, and down to South Carolina. Any earthquake measuring half way up the Richter scale will raise your level of concern faster than a twinkie raises blood pressure. Now that the shaking is over, we need to take check the foundations of the structures that rest on that very same ground to make sure that the latest earthquake to hit the east coast has not left its signature.

Check both inside and outside of your basement or foundation for cracks and signs of structural damage with our foundation check list:

If you already have a cinder block or brick wall that is bowing or leaning, look to see if the condition has worsened. While stone and poured concrete may be the least susceptible to the normal stresses that affect foundations, they are also the least flexible. An earthquake can cause shifting within the soil so additional pressure exerted against these types of walls may not cause structural damage to the wall itself but the pressure could be transferred to a "weaker link" in your structure that the wall connects to (i.e. footer, sill plate, joists).

Less obvious signs of structural damage come in the form of cracks. Depending on the depth of the crack, they could be purely cosmetic. Some cracks that go all the way through the foundation may not be revealed until rain and ground water have exploited these areas of the foundation resulting in the need for basement waterproofing. Check the cove (where the floor meets the wall) at the lowest level of your home since this is the most common area where water enters a structure. It also might be time to check the crawl space since this is usually an area that is not ventured into frequently; unless this is where you hide your often visited secret stash of twinkies.

The major red flags will stand out. However, if you are not sure about the severity of the minor faults, you might want to rely on the tools and experienced eye of an expert in earthquake building damage. The best foundation repair experts will not be afraid to tell you that you don't have a problem if you don't actually have a problem. They will also be the ones who will provide the best foundation repair solutions that are resident specific, which does a lot to lower your concern. Don't delay in fixing any noticeable problems - read our top ten list Why Should I Fix My Foundation? Don't Ignore Home Foundation Repair.

B-Dry Waterproofing and Foundation Repair has provided a quarter million lifetime warranted foundation repair and basement waterproofing solutions in North America since 1958.