Foundation repair should be an essential component of your home maintenance plan. There are plenty of problems that might occur with your home’s foundation that are often overlooked – from crumbling or bowing walls to water seeping through cracks.
To determine if your foundation might need some TLC, below are some signs to watch out for:
• A telltale sign that your house is settling due to a damaged foundation are cracks in your home’s exterior walls and on the drywall of your interior walls.
• Another common indication that your foundation needs repair is windows and doors that don’t open and shut as expected.
• Your foundation might be shifting or settling if you spot gaps in between the caulking and doors or windows, or between your ceiling and crown molding.
• Does the ground near your home’s foundation appear to be sinking? How about your floors? This warning sign could indicate a potentially significant issue that needs professional attention as soon as possible.
• If your patio has already pulled away or looks like it’s about to pull away or from your house, your foundation is probably shifting.
• If you see your wallpaper wrinkling or crinkling, this might be a sign that your walls are shifting because your foundation is also shifting.
• Check to see if the nails on your walls are popping or pulling away from the sheetrock or drywall. This is an indication that your foundation might require repair.
• Are your basement walls bowing? If yes, this means that you might have foundation issues due to soil expansion. Soil expansion happens when wet soil expands and pushes against your foundation and pulls away when it dries, explains Van Matre Construction, LLC, a concrete foundation repair specialist in Boulder. This could weaken the areas where soil expansion typically occurs, causing your walls to bow, he adds.
Keep in mind that while repairing your foundation could be costly, maintaining it and regularly repairing it would save you more time and money. If you notice the warning signs mentioned above, seek professional help as soon as possible, especially if you spot significant cracks in your exterior walls.