The signs
Six signs your foundation is moving
If you see one of these, get the foundation looked at promptly. Movement does not fix itself, and waiting lets it damage plumbing and sheetrock.
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Stair-step cracks in brick
Cracks that climb the mortar joints in a stair-step pattern, often starting at the corner of a window or door, are a classic sign one part of the foundation has dropped.
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Cracks in interior sheetrock
Cracks above doorways and windows, or running across a ceiling, mean the frame of the house is being pulled out of square.
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Doors and windows that stick
When a door suddenly will not latch or a window binds, the opening is no longer square because the foundation under it has moved.
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Gaps at the trim
Gaps where the wall meets the baseboard, crown, or door trim show the wall and floor are separating as the slab settles.
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Sloping or uneven floors
Floors that feel like they tilt, or a spot that has become bouncy, point to settlement under that part of the home.
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Separation at the corners
Brick or siding pulling away at an outside corner, or a gap opening at the garage, is the foundation edge dropping away from the structure.
The causes
What causes foundation movement here
Most of it traces back to one thing: the expansive clay under your home swelling and shrinking with the amount of water in the soil.
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Drought
Long dry spells and hot summers pull moisture out of the soil, and the ground around the home contracts.
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Too much water
Long wet periods upset the soil balance the other way and the ground swells, heaving the foundation upward.
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Poor drainage
Water that pools or drains toward the house creates uneven moisture, the single biggest driver of movement here.
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Downspouts too close
The outlet on each downspout should be three to four feet from the foundation so roof water drains away, not against it.
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Trees near the slab
Root systems reaching under the home pull moisture from the soil and cause it to contract on that side.
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Plumbing leaks
A water leak swells the soil and heaves the foundation. Pools and ponds that leak do the same thing.
Seeing the signs? Get a free quote before a small crack becomes a big repair.