Are you concerned that your home has foundation issues? Issues like a shifting, settling, or sinking foundation are fairly common and can occur for many reasons. While not all foundation issues are all that serious, some can be since they can result in your house no longer being structurally sound. In extreme cases, a major foundation issue can even create a risk of part of a house collapsing. That’s why it’s a good idea to continually monitor your home for these issues since they can help you determine if you need foundation repairs.
1. Cracks in the Foundations
One sure sign that you need to hire a professional to repair your foundation is if you can see any areas where the concrete has started to crack. Cracks are often fairly obvious if your home has a crawl space since the concrete is usually unfinished. If you instead have a finished basement, you likely won’t see any cracks from inside since they’ll be hidden behind drywall or whatever else the walls are finished with. Nonetheless, more serious damage will often result in visible cracks in the portion of the foundation that sticks up above the ground level. That’s why it’s a good idea to occasionally walk around outside your house to inspect the foundation for any signs of damage.
2. Basement Wall Is Bowing
While you may not be able to see if your basement walls are cracked, you will likely be able to see bowing walls. If the foundation walls appear to be bowing inwards or outwards, this can reveal foundation issues. Foundation walls tend to bow as the soil around the basement expands when it gets overly wet, putting added pressure on the foundation.
Outward bows usually occur when the soil next to the house is not properly compacted when the foundation is backfilled. What happens in this situation is that as the backfill soil contracts when it dries out, gaps form between the soil and the foundation. This can result in part of the foundation wall not being properly supported and getting pushed outward due to the weight of the house.
3. Drywall Cracks
Drywall cracks aren’t always a cause for concern since they can occur due to various reasons, such as fluctuations in indoor temperature or humidity. If the drywall was poorly installed, you’ll often end up with vertical or horizontal cracks as a result of the drywall joints not being properly taped. Nonetheless, having more and more cracks appear over time or more major cracks suddenly appearing can also be a sign your home has foundation issues.
You almost always need to be concerned if you notice diagonal cracks extending from the top corners of window or door frames. This type of cracking almost always indicates that your foundation isn’t fully stable and has started to shift or sink. When this happens, it puts uneven pressure on the framing of window and door openings and causes the opening to tilt or shift slightly and the drywall starts cracking.
If your home has had any additions, watch out for larger horizontal or vertical cracks in the walls or ceilings where the addition connects to the original part of the house. This issue also typically indicates an issue with either the original foundation or the foundation for the addition. One thing that can commonly happen with an addition is that one of the foundations ends up settling or pulling away from the other. The result of either issue is often that large cracks form along the edge of the wall or ceiling where the two parts of the house meet.
4. Sticking Doors and/or Windows
When a window or a door frame shifts due to foundation issues, it often results in the window or door sticking and being more difficult to open as well. In some cases, you may find that a window is completely stuck and won’t open or a door won’t ever fully close. If you have a door frame that’s shifted, you’ll also often be able to see a fairly large gap somewhere between either the top or side of the door and the frame. Doors can also end up sagging for various reasons, which can also lead to a gap between the door and the frame and make the door more difficult to open or close. Heat and cold can cause the same issues since the door and frame expand in higher temperatures and crack in lower temperatures. Nonetheless, if you’re experiencing issues with any windows or doors and also see a crack diagonal crack anywhere around the frame, it almost certainly means you’re dealing with a foundation issue.
5. Zig-Zag Cracks in Exterior Brickwork
If you have any brick on your home’s exterior walls or a brick chimney, foundation issues can also lead to zig-zag cracks forming along the masonry joints that connect each of the bricks. As with diagonal cracks in your drywall, this type of cracking typically results from the foundation shifting and putting uneven pressure on the brickwork. Brickwork can also crack for many other reasons, but this jagged or zig-zag cracking is almost always a sign of a foundation issue.
6. Bulges and Uneven Flooring
If your house has a basement, parts of the flooring on the ground level can end up heaving and bulging if your foundation has shifted or settled. At least some of the walls in a basement are usually load-bearing walls and have sturdy posts that help support the weight of the floor and walls above them. If one part of the foundation shifts, it can cause one or more of these posts to heave upward and create a noticeable bulge in the floor just above the post. Similarly, if part of your foundation sinks, it can result in a load-bearing wall also sinking and causing a sag in the flooring above the wall. If your foundation has sunk or shifted, you’ll usually notice issues with some of the flooring in your basement being uneven as well.
7. Concrete Porch or Patio Has Started to Pull Away From Your House
This type of issue is similar to what can happen to an addition. If your home’s foundation shifts, settles or sinks, the house could start to pull away from your front porch or backyard patio. When pouring a concrete porch or patio, pieces of rebar are normally driven into holes in the concrete foundation to securely attach the porch or patio to the house. Nonetheless, foundation issues often result in the concrete joint between the house and the porch or patio cracking and eventually creating a noticeable gap between the two.
8. Nails or Screws Popping Out of Drywall
Depending on the age of your house, all of the drywall is attached to the wall studs and floor/ceiling joists with either nails or screws. Studs and joists can expand and contract due to changes in humidity and result in some of the nail or screw heads popping out through the drywall and creating round blisters or holes. However, if you notice these nail or screw pops and your house also has some of the other issues on this list, it most likely means your house has some type of foundation issue that you should get repaired.
Dealing with foundation issues can be scary due to the severity of damage it can cause to your home’s interior exterior and overall structure. That’s why you must choose an experienced professional with the necessary knowledge, experience and skills to correctly overcome the issue. At RhinoLift Foundation Solutions, we have years of experience helping homeowners in the Charlotte, Raleigh and Durham areas with all their foundation repair needs. We also specialize in crawl space repair, basement waterproofing and concrete leveling. No matter what type of foundation issue your home has, give us a call and we’ll put our expertise to work to ensure it’s repaired properly.
