If you think there’s something wrong with your foundation, the first thing you want is confirmation that it’s not serious. There’s nothing like the peace of mind after you find a crack you don’t remember seeing before and realizing it’s not something you need to panic about. Here are three signs that your home’s foundation is simply settling or not moving at all.
Your wooden door is sticking.
If your door is harder to open and close then you remember, you might immediately worry about your foundation. But if you have a wooden door, it might just be swelling from humidity. Wooden doors can also expand and contract because of the temperature, so don’t be too concerned if this is the only problem you see. Even wooden door frames can swell against a metal or fiberglass door enough to make it stick. If the problem stays regardless of the season but it doesn’t get worse, the foundation might just be settling.
There are straight cracks in the drywall.
Your home’s walls are made up of smaller sheets of drywall. If you have a grid of paint lines in your garage, that’s approximately how tall and wide the sheetrock is in your home’s interior, too. Over time, heat and foundational settling tug the paint apart. The cracks run over the seams. As long as the cracks are thin and just horizontal or vertical, they’re probably not an emergency. Take a picture so you can measure growth and keep an eye out for more telling diagonal cracks.
A foundation expert signs off on it.
Having a professional inspect your foundation gives the best peace of mind. An inspector can measure the levelness of the floors, inspect the visible damage, and check for signs of problems that are harder to spot. They can tell you more about your foundation, tips for keeping settling in check, and answer your questions.
If you want that peace of mind as soon as possible, schedule an appointment with Steady House Foundation. One of our inspectors will be happy to take a look.