5 Most Common House Foundation Problems That Require Expert Intervention

A home’s foundation problems develop silently without you knowing at first, but with time, some signs may start to show. You may spot a small, seemingly negligible crack, a damp patch in the basement, or a sticking door in the early days of foundation problems. Over time, if these initial subtle signs go unaddressed, they may grow into bigger problems that pose greater danger to your basement and home.

Knowing these early signs is important, but knowing what problems they cause is even more important. Below, we’ll look at the five most common house foundation problems that often arise from these early signs of damage that you should let the experts handle.

Bulging or Bowing Foundation Walls

If water often presses against your basement walls, chances are high that your foundation walls will bow, bulge, or suffer a mix of both. This problem is prevalent in areas that receive constant high rainfall and where the foundation is positioned in the path of water flow. When water penetrates the soil, it may cause inward movement in your basement walls, depending on the amount of soil and the moisture it contains.

The moister your home soil is, the heavier it becomes, and the more it causes your foundation to shift. The worst cases often occur in clay soil, which expands and contracts dramatically, causing rapid movement. While it’s important to address this situation early, many homeowners only notice it when the problem has advanced, and significant bowing or bulging has occurred.

Call the experts immediately when you notice the problem so they can act swiftly before the structural damage worsens. The best approach is to work with local experts, such as foundation repair Richmond, VA, who understand your soil types and topography. This way, you save time and money that would otherwise have been spent on research.

Sagging or Uneven Floors

When floors start to sag or develop uneven surfaces, it’s often an indication of larger foundation problems, such as failing support beams, shifting soil, or soil settlement beneath the foundation. Moisture problems can also contribute to the floor issues by weakening supporting beams, making them more unstable. When extended periods of humidity or heavy rain weaken the ties that hold the wooden frames together, the support beams may become more unstable, affecting the nearby floor.

Foundation specialists can fix this problem by adding support posts and reinforcing the joists. They can also inspect the damage and provide repair recommendations to restore your structures and floors to good working condition.

Damage on the Southwest or Southeast Corners

A building’s southwest or southeast corners face harsher weather than the other corners because they face the sun when it’s strongest and are also exposed to strong winds. If your home has clay soil in these spots, it tends to dry out faster than any other part of the exterior walls. As the soil shrinks, it leaves gaps in the foundation, causing movement and lines of weakness.

After these movements begin to happen, it’s only a matter of time before something worse happens to the house. You should schedule an inspection right away, especially if you notice stair-step cracks or sheer cracks. The step-like crack can appear anywhere on the wall, but you should check the foundation where they usually originate. As for sheer cracks, these often cut through both brick and mortar, and are always an indication of a severe foundation issue.

Continuous Water Entry During Non-Storm Conditions

Water can enter the basement through the entryway during storms or rapid snowmelt, then recede when conditions improve. However, if you notice water seeping through even in normal weather, your foundation may be experiencing serious drainage issues that only worsen over time.

This type of water entry does not seep in silently and unnoticed. It’s a visible water seepage into your basement that later pools on floors or streams through walls or floor joints. If this happens, call the experts to examine your home’s water management system and rectify any problems affecting its performance.

Foundation Failure or Settlement

This is almost like the final stage before a big foundation disaster. It happens when a home’s foundation begins to deteriorate, either because of a lack of enough moisture or too much of it in the soil. You will notice your house appearing as though it’s sinking, or the bricks or blocks on the wall are shifting. This is a dangerous position to be in, and you’ll need to call the professionals as soon as possible to address the unstable soil.

Foundations always settle over time due to changes in soil composition. Once the settlement occurs, foundations never get better, but worse with time. Only an experienced team of foundation experts can help restore your sinking foundation if they’re called on time. They will remove the soil surrounding your foundation, raise it back up onto a series of steel pipes, and secure it with jacks. This will help create a more stable home.

House foundation problems can develop over time or be triggered by sudden storms or severe weather, catching homeowners off guard. If you’ve noticed any of the above home foundation problems, then you’ll need to schedule a professional repair as fast as possible. Maintaining a functional foundation is a good way of protecting your entire home from damage.