Foundation Problems

Quick question, what are signs that your foundation needs repair? If you said cracks, you are part of the over 80% of people who would say that. While it is not wrong, cracks are definitely a sign, it is, by no means the only sign. Just like a complicated illness, foundation repair will have a number of symptoms and not all of it will be just cracks. In some cases, there may be significant damage well before the cracks start to appear.

Is it settling?

 The first step is to know if the problems your house is facing is really foundation related or if it is settling. Foundation repairs are normally caused by bad building practices. Settling on the other hand is more of a natural process. Even expertly crafted buildings can some times settle after construction is completed. The tower at Pisa is a prime example of a settled building. If your region sees extreme weather the year your house is built, say flooding, and a few years later there is a sever drought, the soil will expand and contract more than its natural level, causing the building to move up or down.

Signs of a house needing foundation work

Apart from cracks, look for:

• Doors and windows jamming: If your doors and windows are not opening and closing like they should and if the jamming against the frame is consistent in consecutive floors, it may be a sure sign of foundation damage.
• Roof damage: It may seem odd, but the top floors and the roof are among the first affected in case your foundation has moved. Go up to the attic, get between the roof and the floorboards, look closely for any signs of damage. The roof gets damaged because it is the furthest away from the foundation and even small changes down there will be amplified the higher up you go. If your home is brick built, look for step shaped cracks on the roof or in the walls that are in contact with the roof.
• A damaged foundation: The most obvious thing is to see length wise cracks on the foundation slabs. If they look like a log split along the grain, your foundation may be in trouble.

It is a distressing thing, but if you do see any signs, catching it early is the best way to reduce the amount of money you will eventually end up spending on it.