Watch Out for These Common Concrete Issues in Omaha Houses

Omaha Real Estate Expert - Mike Beacom

Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report

Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale

If you have concrete in your home, there are some common issues that can arise that you should be aware of.

If you have concrete on your property, you might have an issue.

The first thing you'll see and the most common concrete issue is settled sidewalks or driveways. You may have portions of the driveway or sidewalk that have settled. An issue we hear about here in Omaha and all over the Midwest is called "street creep," which can affect your foundation. When the temperature rises and causes concrete to expand, it pushes the driveway into the garage floor, which can then push into your foundation.

You can fix this by cutting expansion joints into the driveway, which allow more give when expansions occur.

On the other side, you can also see settling with concrete patios. If a concrete patio settles toward the house, it can cause rain or snow runoff to run toward the house and settle down through the foundation, or even get under the patio. A common repair is to have the sections mudjacked.

The last concrete item susceptible to issues is the foundation itself. Whether it is a poured or block foundation, the stability is very important. As a seller, you want to make sure it's kept in good shape, and as a buyer, you want to be sure there is no bowing or shifting with issues of hydrostatic pressure from poor water drainage outside the house.

A common fix, of course, is paying good attention to the water drainage on the outside of the house, or the installation of a sump pit.

These are issues that are equally important to both buyers and sellers and should not be ignored by any means. If you have any questions about potential concrete issues, I'd love to help you out. Give me a call or send me an email, and let's talk soon.