Questions
Foundation repair questions
Answers to what people ask before they call, grouped by subject. Each group links back to a fuller page.
About the service
Is Wichita Foundation Repair Help a repair company?
No. It is a referral service. When you call, you speak with an independent local foundation repair company, which inspects the house and gives you its own findings and price.
What does it cost to call?
Nothing beyond your usual phone charges. Before you book an inspection, ask the company whether the visit carries a fee.
Which towns are covered?
Wichita and nearby towns including Derby, Andover, Haysville, Newton, Maize, Goddard, Valley Center, Park City, Bel Aire, Augusta and El Dorado. The service area page has the full list.
Should I call about a wet basement?
If water is the only problem and nothing is cracking or moving, a basement waterproofer is the right trade. If the water comes with wall cracks, a leaning wall or sloping floors, call about foundation repair.
How quickly should I act on a crack?
Most foundation movement is slow, and there is time to measure, take photos and arrange an inspection. The exception is sudden change: if a wall shifts noticeably or you fear it may give way, get out and call 911.
Cracks in walls, ceilings or brick
Should I fill a wall crack before anyone looks at it?
Leave it as it is until it has been seen and photographed. A filled crack hides its width and whether it has been opening or closing. If rain is getting in through brick, a strip of removable sealing tape is enough for a few weeks.
Do cracks that open in summer and close in winter matter?
Tell the company about them. Movement that follows the seasons often points to clay soil drying and wetting under a shallow part of the footing, and the pattern over a year is useful evidence. Dated photos with a coin or ruler in the frame are ideal.
Doors and windows that stick
My front door only sticks after heavy rain. Is that the foundation?
It can be the door swelling, or clay under the stoop and footing taking on water. Note whether the gap at the top of the frame changes shape as well. If the frame itself moves, mention that when you call.
Will foundation repair make my doors work again?
Sometimes partly, sometimes fully, and no honest company promises it in advance. Ask what the proposal says about lifting the house versus holding it where it is, and get the answer in writing.
Sloping, sagging or bouncy floors
How much floor slope is normal in an older Wichita house?
No single number fits every house. Plenty of older houses have floors a little out of level that have been stable for decades. What matters more is whether the slope is growing, and whether cracks and sticking doors are appearing along with it.
Can I add a jack post myself?
The adjustable posts sold in hardware stores are generally meant as temporary support. A permanent post needs a footing sized for the load, and repair work to the structure of a house in Wichita needs a permit from MABCD. Have the cause checked before anything is jacked. See permits.
Cracks in the foundation itself
Is a hairline crack in a poured basement wall a structural problem?
Often it is not, but width alone cannot settle the question. A thin vertical crack that has not changed in years and shows no offset is a common result of concrete curing. One that is widening, has shifted sideways or lets soil through is a different matter. An inspection at the house is how you find out which you have.
Why does white powder form along the crack?
The powder is mineral salt left behind when moisture passes through concrete and evaporates. It shows that water has been moving through the wall at that spot. It says nothing about how far the wall has moved.
Does a repaired crack have to be mentioned when I sell?
Keep the paperwork either way. The guide to buying or selling a house with a foundation problem covers what Kansas law asks of agents and what buyers want to see.
Bowing or leaning basement walls
Can a bowed basement wall be pushed back straight?
Sometimes. Anchors and tiebacks can be tightened over months or years and may recover part of the bow. Beams and carbon-fibre generally hold a wall where it is. Digging out the soil and straightening or rebuilding is the direct route. Ask which outcome a proposal is aiming for.
Does bracing a basement wall need a permit in Wichita?
The local code requires a permit to alter or repair a building and a licensed contractor to do the work. Ask the company who applies for it. The permits guide has the details.
A sagging floor over a crawl space
Should the moisture be fixed before the supports?
Usually the two are planned together. New steel posts will hold a floor up in a damp space, but new wood will rot again if the space stays wet. Ask the company in what order it would do the work, and why.
Can a sagging floor over a crawl space be made level again?
Often it can be improved a good deal, because beams and posts can be adjusted. How far depends on how long the floor has been out of level and what finishes sit on it. The company should tell you its target before work begins.
Water pooling next to the house
Will regrading the yard fix a foundation that has already moved?
It can slow or stop further movement by taking away the water that drives it. It will not lift a footing that has settled or straighten a wall. Companies often ask for drainage to be put right as part of a repair for that reason.
How far from the house should a downspout discharge?
Far enough that the water lands on ground sloping away and does not run back. Several feet is a common rule of thumb, and on flat clay lots further is better. A buried pipe to the kerb or to a low spot works too, as long as it stays clear.
Ready to have it looked at?
Talk to a foundation repair company near Wichita
Call and describe what you are seeing. You will speak with an independent local company that can arrange to inspect the house and give you its findings and its price.
Foundation repair for houses
Basement walls, settling, cracks, crawl spaces and sloping floors in Wichita and nearby towns.
Call (316) 555-0119Calls may be recorded. See the referral disclosure and privacy policy.