Knowing if your home has any problems with the foundation can be a challenge. Because the foundation is underground, it’s not commonly on the top of a homeowner’s mind to check.
Common Foundation Issues
While the first step should always be to call a professional, it’s still important to identify problems within your home that could mean a cracked foundation.
- Uneven Floors If you begin to notice your once-even floor beginning to slope, it may be a sign of a cracked foundation. The best way to test if your floor is uneven is to roll a ball or pencil on the ground. If it begins to roll noticeably in one direction, it may be time to contact a professional.
- Cracked Walls A home’s foundation issues can also be detected by cracks and crevices that start appearing on your interior or exterior walls. Cracks may appear between the crease of ceilings and walls or in the corners. Large cracks usually indicate a problem, but small ones are natural and can simply be filled in.
- Doors and Windows A flawed foundation can also be identified by doors and windows that aren’t shutting the way they should. If they look crooked or misaligned, your home’s foundation may be shifting.
What Causes Home Foundation Issues?
A home’s foundation is not going to stay perfect forever. The earth is always shifting and moving so over time, you home can too.
- Time Older homes most commonly have foundation issues because these homes have had more time to sit on the shifting earth.
- Weather Years of excess rain, melting snow, earthquakes, and droughts are all examples of weather that can impact the foundation.
- Trees Large trees with extensive root systems may push and prod at a building’s foundation. Also, they drink up the moisture in the soil that assists in keeping the foundation in the right place.
- Human Factors Home foundation issues may also arise from human factors. Faulty construction or design, plumbing leaks, and flooding (both artificial and natural) can cause problems in the foundation of your home.