Symptoms of a Faulty Foundation

For many Texas families, their home becomes the single largest investment and also the family fortune. The home’s foundation has the power to drastically influence the home’s overall value.

So, if the foundation fails or it is compromised, this dwindling condition transfers to the home’s overall value. These are signs that you may have foundation problems. Without professional foundation repair, these symptoms will grow worse and may even threaten the structure of your home.

image of a cracked foundation wall

During periods of prolonged dryness, the soil surrounding your home shrinks away, causing foundation issues that can grow into severe problems over time.

If doors and windows throughout your home are becoming hard to open or close, it could be the result of a shifting foundation.

The foundation of your home is buried. You can see the foundation by going into the basement and looking at the concrete walls from the inside, but it still doesn’t give you a clear view of the whole foundation.

The concrete in foundations, especially foundations found in older homes, can crack under the immense pressure of the building and the ground around it. Cracked foundations can cause all sorts of the problems that you may not connect to a compromised foundation.

Below are six symptoms that hint at a faulty foundation:

1.) Doors that will not open or close smoothly or properly. With a shifting foundation, the house can settle, which can bring down the door jams just a few millimeters. This will be enough to make opening a door difficult as it will drag on the ground or not fit into the sill.
2.) Cracks on the walls near doors and windows. If the house settles quickly, then the walls will crack at weak spots near openings. If you begin to see these cracks, it’s time to contact a foundation repair professional.
3.) Windows become difficult to open or close. Much like the stuck door, the sill will move but the window frame remains the same size, making it extremely difficult to open or close the window.
4.) A small gap found at the bottom of the garage door. Again, the house moves but the door stays the same size. This gap tells you that the building is changing shape.
5.) The expansion of caulk around doors and windows. If the house is moving, it will pull on the rubbery caulk and stretch it, creating an unsightly problem.
6.) Unleveled floor. This is most easily seen in a room with hard floors like a bathroom, kitchen or hallway. The floor underneath you actually slopes.

If you find too many of these foundation problematic symptoms, then you may want to contact a professional to appraise the foundation of your home. Foundation repairs can save your home from a premature demise.