You could easily argue that the foundation is the most important part of a house. It has to support all of the building's other structural systems (floors, walls, stairways, roof, porches, decks), as well as bathroom fixtures, kitchen cabinets, furniture, people and possessions. Since your house depends on a sound, solid, stable base, it's smart to take foundation problems seriously.

One of the first questions many homeowners ask is: "Can I repair this problem myself, or do I need to call a contractor?" Doing your own foundation repairs saves money and gives you the satisfaction of handling a problem on your own. But some foundation problems require special tools and materials, and contractors who have experience in using them. Here are some basic guidelines that can help you distinguish between DIY repairs and those that should be done by a foundation repair contractor.

DIY foundation repairs

There's no risk in repairing cracks in a concrete wall or floor as long as the cracks are small and stable. By small, we're talking about less than a quarter of an inch wide. Patching mortar and other masonry repair products, available at hardware stores and home centers, can take care of small cracks.

A stable crack is one that hasn't changed size since you first noticed it. If you notice that the crack has changed size, it's time to call in a pro. Also, there should be no shifting, settling or displacement along the crack. When one section of a wall or floor shifts above or below another section located on the other side of the crack, this indicates a more serious problem -one that could threaten the integrity of walls and floors above the foundation. If a foundation has cracked, settled and/or shifted, it's time to call in a foundation repair contractor.

Many foundation problems are caused by excessive water in the soil that surrounds the house. This is a problem homeowners can handle. For starters, keep gutters from clogging and overflowing, and make sure that downspouts direct water away from the house. Likewise, the ground surrounding the house should slope away from the foundation.

Professional foundation repairs

If your foundation problems are more severe than those mentioned above, don't feel bad. Many houses require professional foundation repairs. The good news is that a full-service foundation repair specialist has the resources to fix a wide range of foundation problems, using state-of-the-art equipment and materials. Foundation repair contractors also rely on different soil probes and tests to determine what site conditions are contributing to foundation problems.
When a foundation wall buckles or settles, the wall can be stabilized by driving special piers into the soil and installing brackets that connect the piers to the wall. The brackets can then be jacked against the foundation to force it back into proper alignment. This combination of piers, brackets and hydraulic jacking is frequently used to correct slabs and walls that have cracked, settled and shifted. 
In addition to handling different foundation problems, foundation repair contractors often have expertise in basement waterproofing and crawl space encapsulation.