Since your foundation is literally the base of your home, any problems that exist within its area can spell disaster for the rest of the home. For that reason, it behooves homeowners to be aware of the most common issues that plague foundations - no matter where they live - so they can diagnose and treat the issue as soon as possible. 

Fortunately, the kind of damage that can warrant a foundation repair are pretty similar and can be prevented by very basic maintenance. Even if you do have to schedule a foundation repair, it's much better to get ahead of some of these problems and take care of them ahead of time rather than delay and wait for a bigger issue to develop.

Below are some of the most common causes of foundation damage. If you see any of them, hire foundation repair services today.

Water

By far, one of the biggest causes of any kind of foundation damage is water. Whether it's a torrential rainfall that has come out of nowhere or poor draining around the base of your home due to improper sloping of the ground nearby, water can collect underneath the foundation and cause the foundation to shift ever-so-slightly. If this happens, you'll need to not only hire for residential foundation repair, but you'll need to most likely fix the dirt underneath as well. Water issues can also happen as a result of a water leak inside the foundation, so check the floor for any kind of random water spots that may appear.

Weather

It's not just what's right next to your home that can cause problems; in some situations, it's the trees and plants nearby that can affect your foundation the most. In especially hot conditions, nearby foliage will suck the water from the soil for themselves, leaving the dirt underneath your foundation dry and open to shifting. This is one reason why watering your foundation is so important: Maintaining a consistent moisture level ensures your home stays as still as possible.

Soil Movement

Depending on where you live, the soil can either move a lot or not much at all, but inevitably, it will move at least a little bit. This can cause major issues for standard concrete foundations, but even bigger issues for other types of foundations that have a harder time moving with the soil. It's good to schedule a regular foundation maintenance to check for any major issues, especially if your area is known for having foundation issues, and if necessary, have appropriate foundation repair services performed.