The winter is over, and it is an excellent opportunity to fix cracked steps, stone walls, foundations, walkways, and patios.
Spring cleaning is usually all the rage at this time of year, but have you ever thought about home repairs? Winters can be especially harsh on your home, depending on your climate. While decluttering your home this season like Marie Kondo, spread some joy back into the hardscaping around your property with some masonry repairs.
Masonry and hardscaping refer to the stonework around your home that isn't made from living materials (i.e., grass or other plants around your house). Here are some of the most popular landscape construction repairs other homeowners make during the spring season.
Repair Your Foundation
Foundation issues can cause many problems for your home, so it's essential to quickly nip them in the bud. Minor cracks will cost around $500 to fix, but major issues can exceed $5,000. To ensure you're fixing the problem the right way, find out what kind of foundation you have and work with a contractor to correct the problem. The different types of foundations are the following:
- Concrete slab/block
- Pier and beam
- Brick and block
- Basement
- Crawl space
Getting periodic structural reports from an engineer who has no biased opinion on selling you a solution will also give you insight into the health of your foundation.
Fill in the Cracks
While brick, stone, and concrete seem indestructible, these masonry materials
need repair. Both brick and stone require maintenance after around 25 years, while stone should last a lifetime without extra maintenance. However, water can cause masonry to crack with continuous freeze-thaw cycles. If you notice cracks in your stonework, a hardscaping service can quickly repair these issues before they get worse. Another common problem is repointing, which entails replacing the mortar between the stone, brick, or concrete.
New Landscape Construction
With summer coming up, spring is one of the most popular times to start working on new landscape construction around your home. Whether you're looking at replacing existing walkways or building a new patio space, a hardscaping service can create the backyard of your dreams. Online resources from Pinterest and DIY blogs show step-by-step tutorials on how to do these projects yourself. Still, landscape construction companies provide premium quality that'll increase the value of your home.
Whether you're into landscaping this spring or not, home repairs can always come at a cost. A lot of the time, these will save you from future expenses and might even increase your property value too.