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One of the most common questions we encounter from homeowners is “why not just fill the cracks?” When homeowners see foundation cracks or wall cracks, they determine they have foundation problems, and then they learn about foundation repair cost—they’re often quick to look for a cheaper alternative. So why not just replace bricks, fill in cracks, or make cosmetic repairs?

• You’d be hiding a symptom rather than solving the real problem. If you went to the doctor and found out you had pneumonia, you’d never say, “Oh, I don’t need antibiotics, just give me a cough drop.” The pneumonia would just get worse, even if you didn’t cough as much! It’s the same with your home. Covering up symptoms does not mean fixing the root problem.
• You increase your own liability if you sell the home. In the selling of a home, if you don’t disclose that you’ve had cracked brick or other wall cracks—especially if they’re well hidden by new brickwork and the home inspector can’t easily notice—you could be liable for future repairs due to nondisclosure.
• You’re putting your home at risk for more serious problems. If caught early, foundation repair can sometimes mean preventing more damaging settlement. Let’s imagine one corner of your home includes a new tile floor. If that corner settles enough, it could cause tiles to crack, the interior wall to crack, and much more. This doesn’t always happen, but we’ve seen it many times.
• There are potential safety risks. Let’s say your chimney is leaning away from the house slightly. What may look like a slight lean can be a serious risk. A chimney is usually the heaviest portion of a home. If it falls, there’s a serious risk of personal injury or property damage. Mount Valley once repaired a home where, before the repair, the back door would not open at all, causing a serious fire safety hazard.

We make these points, not to scare you into making repairs, but to educate you of the risks. Our goal is to educate you as best we can, and to offer our assistance in making a decision. If you don’t have a problem, we’ll tell you that. But if you’re thinking about covering up a serious foundation problem, we’d rather offer you a permanent solution, backed by a lifetime transferrable warranty.