Common Signs of Foundation Settlement
Foundation settlement can be an unavoidable part of home ownership. Unfortunately, despite how well your home’s foundation was built, foundation settlement is really about the quality of soil and the type of weather where you live.
In the Midwest, we frequent dramatic weather changes, which can be extremely harsh to our foundations. This causes foundation settlement, which is a vertical displacement of a structure or building primarily due to shrinking soil below the footing of the foundation .
Phew, that was a mouthful. Basically, your house is sinking. Doesn’t sound great, does it?
On top of that, the longer you wait, the worse it gets. So how do you spot it when it’s happening?
Signs of Foundation Settlement
1. Foundation Cracks, dry wall cracks, and other types of fractures.
If you have noticed gaps between the basement floor and the basement wall, cracks in the exterior brick of your home, leaning chimney, these are big identifiers in foundation problems. Your house is settling unevenly causing sections of the foundation to break away.
2. Doors that don’t open and close properly.
If you have noticed that your doors are sticking and are not opening and closing with ease, this might be a sign of foundation settlement. Interior doors tend to stick or drag at the top, while exterior doors are affected they tend to drag at the threshold or hang down.
It should be noted that it sticking doors could also be a sign of humidity (75-100%). However, if the sticking door last longer than several days it is likely it is not humidity and your house should be checked by a foundation repair specialist.
3. Sagging or uneven floors
If you have noticed the floors are out of level or appear to be sagging, dipping or bowing, this could indicate foundation problems. In addition to looking unappealing, sagging floors are dangerous. It is important you call for help as soon as you notice a shift in your floors.
4. Actual foundation sinking
Some signs are just common sense. If you house appears to be sinking, have it checked out. This may mean you’ve noticed one side of the house is lower than the other, or perhaps the center on the building is sinking. Either way, if the foundation of your house has moved, you need a professional.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, your home most likely needs piering. Piering is done by driving steel tube pilings to load bearing strata remedying failing foundations and to correct settlement.
As we shift from summer to fall here in the Midwest, we undergo a lot of weather changes; often bring problems like these to light. If you need a solution for your foundation settlement service, look no further. A foundation repair service such as Dry Basement® Foundation Repair has been helping home owners in the Midwest for over 42 years and they can help you with foundation settlement.