It’s understandable why homeowners would want to know “how long to wait after foundation repair to make cosmetic repairs to my house.” After remodeling a house, sheetrock cracks or tile cracks are the last thing you want to see appear. Before you enlist a remodeler or painter to deal with cosmetic issues, wait a while for your foundation to settle down.
Exactly How Long After Foundation Repair Should I Wait To Have Cosmetic Repairs?
In most cases, you should wait 4-6 weeks before fixing cosmetic damage to your home. That’s because after having your foundation repaired, your house will need to self-adjust. Keep in mind that when your foundation originally moved, the framing moved with it. As a result, your wall frames became unlevel, too. After fixing your foundation your framing may go back into position right away, or it may never completely return to normal.
It’s impossible to know if sheetrock cracks will permanently close up or not. For that reason, it’s best to wait at least a month before making cosmetic repairs. Not only are sheetrock cracks a concern, but so are gaps in floors and windows. Even countertops need time to adjust once house leveling has been performed. That’s why it’s recommended the you wait long enough to see if the cracks are going to reappear or not.
Once you’ve waited to see what happens, you can move forward with your project. At that point it will be safe to have the walls painted and make any necessary repairs to the sheetrock or other problem areas in walls. Keep in mind that no matter how long you wait, in some instances cracks can show back up. That is due to seasonal movement in foundations. In areas such as Dallas and Fort Worth, foundations tend to move back and forth all throughout the year because of the expansive clay soils in North Texas. Waiting to make cosmetic repairs is a wise decision for that reason.
In the event that you have foundation damage and wish to have it fixed before making home improvements, contact HD Foundations. Our company services the DFW metroplex. We’ll be happy to stop by and provide you with a free foundation evaluation.