There are many signs that might indicate that there are issues with your home’s foundation. Your home’s foundation can have all sorts of concerns throughout for a number of different reasons, and it’s important to think about why you could end up with those foundation problems and how you can fix it. If you want to get the best possible solution for your home foundation problems, keep these home foundation problem signs in mind first and foremost.
8 Simple Signs Your Home Has a Foundation Problem Created By: Innovative Basement Authority
The Most Common Causes of Foundation Problems
There are a few very common reasons that you might experience foundation problems throughout your home. Keeping these causes of foundation problems in mind can give you a better idea of when you might experience foundation concerns.
- Deterioration of Load-Bearing Walls
- Settling Underneath the Home
- Soil Surging Due to Settling Elsewhere
- Water Damage From Internal Leaks
- Poor Exterior Drainage
Of course, none of these are really going to be things that you’ll be able to fix on your own. You’ll need to talk to a foundation repair expert to fix the problems that you’re experiencing. However, you can at least keep those potential foundation concerns in mind.
Eight Things to Look Out For
Now that you know why foundation problems can occur, it’s a good idea to make sure you know what can indicate lasting problems. What are the eight common signs of foundation failure in your home?
Cracks in the Walls or Floor
First off, if you’re experiencing cracks in your walls or floor, it’s a good idea to call in a foundation repair expert. That’s because cracks indicate that there’s a problem with the weight balance of the home. It’s especially important when you notice really serious cracks throughout your walls or floors or if you’re seeing diagonal cracks from the edges of the walls.
Sticking or Uneven Doors and Windows
Most of the time, if a door or window is “sticking,” it’s because the doorframe or window frame is having warping problems. Those warping problems can indicate a foundation problem or a water problem, depending on what’s going on around the frame. When you notice that the doors and windows are having a hard time opening or closing, it’s probably because of a foundation problem.
Gaps Between Your Walls, Windows, Floors, and Doors
Walls, windows, floors, and doors should all close or come together cleanly, with no gaps between them. If you notice gaps between any of these things, it might be because of foundation problems. Specifically, if the foundation sags or moves downward on one side and not on the other, it can open up gaps between walls, floors, windows, and more.
Sagging and Slanting Floors
Whenever you notice slanting or sagging floors, it’s typically because of an issue with your home’s structural integrity. However, it is important to notice exactly what’s going on with that structural integrity. If you’re having issues with support around your floor joists, you’ll typically see floors sagging in the middle. If you’re having issues with foundation settlement, you’ll typically see floors that unevenly dip down.
A Leaning Chimney
The chimney in your home usually has a different foundation than the rest of the home. That’s because it allows the chimney to have the right amount of structural support. However, that different foundation can also cause problems if one or the other starts to move around and shift. If either foundation starts to have settlement problems, you’re going to have concerns, often starting with a chimney that leans one way or another.
Bowing Basement Walls
Your basement walls should maintain their upward stability just like any other wall in your home. However, it’s very common for those basement walls not to have that kind of upward stability. Instead, you might end up seeing basement walls that bow inward because of hydrostatic pressure. If you notice your basement walls moving inward, you need to get help with pulling the walls back to their initial stability.
Musty Smells Coming From the Basement or Crawl Space
Regardless of what anyone may tell you, it’s definitely not normal to have musty smells in your home’s basement or crawl space. More likely, it’s because you have mold or mildew problems in your home. The smell of mold and mildew is very specific, and it tends to be a musty smell. If you’re smelling that in and around the basement or crawl space, you probably have mold and mildew problems.
Dampness and Water Intrusion
If there’s one thing you want to avoid in your basement or crawl space, it’s moisture. Moisture can seriously wreak havoc on the entirety of your home. If you’re dealing with moisture in your crawl space or basement, you’re almost certainly going to end up with serious concerns all throughout your home eventually. That means avoiding dampness at all costs when it’s in your home’s basement or crawl space.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of potential problems with your home’s foundation that you might end up seeing the repercussions of throughout your home. If you’re noticing foundation problems, it’s important to make sure that you call in a foundation repair expert as soon as possible. These foundation problems are something that you need to address early on so you don’t end up having to deal with the fallout.
