How to Identify Serious Foundation Problems
March 11, 2020 9:34 pm Leave your thoughtsFoundation repair specialists in Crivitz, WI often arrive at a home foundation problem too late. When you wait too long to address damage to your home’s foundation, you may face a total loss of your home at worst or, in the best-case scenario, expensive repairs. However, when problems start, it is not impossible to fix them. Here are six signs of foundation problems so you can call for repairs soon:
- Sticky doors and windows: Most of the time, a door or window that is difficult to open or close simply needs some WD-40. But if this becomes a frequent issue no matter how much you treat the problem, your foundation may be to blame. Foundation damage often leads to sagging walls and misaligned frames that make it impossible to properly operate doors and windows. If they start jamming entirely, consult a foundation specialist soon.
- Sagging floors and ceilings: When foundations move, it starts to warp beams throughout your home. Soft spots in the floor or bumps in the ceiling are both signs of serious problems. If your floor feels slanted, use a level to confirm that it is not your imagination. Once you confirm that there are disparities in your otherwise flat surfaces, consider that your foundation may be to blame and have it inspected.
- Bowed walls: Like sagging floors and ceilings, there is nothing normal about a bowed wall. This is also a symptom of water damage, so your foundation itself may not be entirely to blame. Just know that if your walls bow, that is not a problem to ignore. Water damage should not be ignored either, unless you wish to deal with a mold problem on top of structural issues.
- Frequent mold: Mold infestation is possible in any home, but when foundations start to bend and crumble, your home becomes more vulnerable to mold. Be aware of any musty smells in your basement that are beyond the normal basement smell. See if mold appears in regular spots, like the seams of windows or doors. When foundations shift, seams become bigger and cracks expose basements to more moisture. This can make any mold remediation efforts a losing battle if you do not fix the foundation first.
- Loose nails: When foundations shift, nails may pop out of the drywall. This can be attributed to normal settling, and it is easy to fix. However, if this becomes a frequent DIY repair around your home, you should have your foundation inspected.
- Cracks: Like loose nails, cracks are also indicative of homes settling. But if wall and floor cracks only get larger and do not settle at one size, you need to address it soon. If a crack is more than ⅛ inch wide, wide on one end and narrow at the other, leaking water or holds at a 45-degree angle, you likely have a foundation issue that needs to be addressed immediately.
Kwiatkowski Construction Co. Inc. is a team of foundation repair specialists in Crivitz, WI. If you require assistance with any residential concrete projects like driveways, retaining walls or foundations, contact us today to schedule an estimate.
Categorised in: Foundation Repairs
This post was written by Writer