Fall foundation checks can prevent costly repairs

CLEVELAND - Your home's foundation is key to the structural integrity of your home. Do a visual check around your foundation and look for soil erosion. Check your gutters.

"Be sure you're cleaning your gutters regularly and also that the gutter flows away from your downspout goes out at least 10 feet. Otherwise it's dumping the water right there at the base of your house," Angie Hicks of Angie's List explained.

You need to worry about more than just older homes. Most new homes also require regular maintenance and it's often a requirement in your home warranty.

Visually inspect your foundation and look for cracks in a stair-step pattern. Check for moisture in the crawlspace or basement, and mis-aligned windows and doors.

If you find a problem, find a reputable contractor.

"The first option would be to repair what's causing the problem and monitor it for a little while, maybe a year or two to see if it's going to quit moving. If it quits moving, you don't necessarily need the foundation repair," Ron Bowen of Foundation Repair explained. "The second option would be to put a foundation piering system on the house that would actually restore it back to its original position."

They can repair the problem and monitor it to make sure your home stops moving. Or, the contractor may suggest piering, which restores your home back to its original position.

With piering, steel rods are inserted under the foundation to stabilize, and in some cases, lift the home off the foundation. Angie's List said underpinning or mudjacking are more economical solutions. In these repairs, concrete is injected under the slab to stabilize it, but mudjacking is only a temporary fix.

Repairs are expensive and usually involve extensive digging around your home.

Ask for insurance and bonding information before the work begins.