Four Signs Of Foundation Issues

Your foundation is the base for the entirety of your home — hence the name — which is why any sort of damage or shifting in your foundation can cause severe structural issues throughout the rest of your property. Understanding what some of the most common signs of foundation issues are can help you determine when you should get in touch with a professional contractor to do a complete inspection of your property to identify damages and the correct repair procedure.

Deck Gaps

One of the first and most easily spotted signs that there may be an issue with your home's foundation is if a gap opens up between your deck or patio and the side of your home. While this can be caused by damage to the deck or patio itself, you can check this fairly easily with a level: if the deck still sits level, the gap is likely caused by the house itself shifting, which points to foundation issues that need to be addressed.

Door and Window Issues

Another hard-to-miss symptom associated with foundation issues is that your doors and windows are no longer able to move easily any longer. This is usually because the shifting foundation has caused structural damage to the window or door frame itself: look for signs of cracking or separation, especially in the corners of the frame. While damage to a single frame can point to an issue with your windows or doors specifically, issues on an entire side or section of your home likely point to foundation troubles instead.

Wall Damage

In a similar vein to the above point, you may also notice that your walls have suffered from cracks and damage in more severe cases. This points to an uneven or cracked foundation, causing part of your home to shift downward, exerting pressure on the other part of your home that is pulling the other direction or not moving at all – causing cracks to appear. These cracks are most common in basement walls, but you may also notice them in the crown molding of the rest of your home, especially in the corners.

Floor Damage

Finally, one last sign of foundation issues is if your floor is no longer even. This can take many forms, from a regular slant (which you can determine using a level, just like the deck, or even with a small ball or marble) or sunken sections and breaking or twisting wood, if your foundation has seriously separated or otherwise degraded. Flooring damage points to a severely damaged foundation that requires immediate attention and repair by a qualified foundation specialist.

Contact a basement foundation repair company for more information and assistance 

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