Houses shift and settle. Some notable signs are sticking and dragging windows and doors. There may be hairline cracks in the walls near interior doors and windows. Floors may slope, slant, buck or sag. You may also notice exterior cracks as well. Gaps may develop between caulking and windows and doors, also between the ceiling and crown molding. These minor issues can become major ones unless attended to. Shifting and settling may be because of soil related issues.
The symptoms you are noticing can be caused by the soil under and around your home. The soil may not be compacted well, which causes your home to shift and settle. Soil composed mostly of clay, most affected by moisture, may swell and shrink. The soil’s movement affects your foundation. Since the movement is usually not even, neither are the shifting and settling.
Foundation Shifting
When you notice the signs of shifting and settling, make sure your rain gutters and downspouts send the water away from your house. Your yard should slightly slant or slope away from your house as well. You also don’t want your neighbor’s water to run toward your house. You want the water to run toward the drainage system away from your home. Your house responses to both too much moisture in the soil as well as too little. You will have shifting and settling during dry seasons as well as wet ones.
In you are in an area where the soil have a high clay content or lots of sand, there is a greater probability of foundation damage. Texas is known to have soil that expands and contract. Homes need good drainage as well. Some cities that should be particularly concerned are San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Houston, Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth. Steady House Foundation Repair serves the Dallas and Fort Worth areas and has a vast amount of experience with both foundation and drainage problems.
You should have your home inspected by a professional foundation repair expert. You want an expert that will inform, consult and educate you about possible repairs and solutions. You want a specialist that offer quick repairs and foundation inspections that will keep your home and foundation in the best possible shape. You want Steady House Foundation Repair. For an inspection and consultation, contact us.