If the basement floor has cracks in it, or on the outside and inside walls of the home, what can it lead to? Can the house collapse?
In: 3
Two reasons:
First, it means that the soil around your house is shifting. The house is built to be level, and if parts of it start to sag at the foundation, that puts stress on the structure all the way up to the roof. That can cause problems later on, though not likely “the house has collapsed” (at least, not if it’s attended to in any even-unreasonable amount of time).
The second reason is water. Water getting in is problematic for several reasons. First, it’ll increase your risk of flooding. Water damage is bad, and fixing it usually means tearing out what’s damaged and starting over. Second, if you live in an area with a freeze/thaw cycle, water that gets in will freeze (and expand), then thaw (which lets more water in, which then freezes and expands…), eventually leading to significantly more damage. Lastly, it’s a health concern. Wet areas tend to be moldy areas, and if the cracks are large enough then insects or even rodents can squeeze in and get into the house.
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