4 Signs Your Foundation is Settling

Your home sits on several layers of soil, each with a different thickness and ability to hold the weight of your home. Each of these soils reacts differently to seasonal changes – Clay during spring rains holds water becoming soft and weak, no longer supporting your home causing it to sink or shift.  

When a home sinks or shifts it is called Foundation Settlement. Foundation Settlement can cause significant damage throughout your home. This is especially true during the Spring, when rains and thunderstorms are abundant leading to wet and muddy soil.  

Here are some signs of foundation settlement to look for both inside and outside your home.

1. Chimney Separation

One of the more dramatic and ugly signs of settlement is a chimney separating away from the rest of your home. Sometimes chimneys are built on a foundation that is not connected to the rest of your house's foundation, making it even more at risk of settlement.

When the soil in your ground starts to shift and move your chimney goes right along with it. The more time that passes, the further the gap will widen between your home and your chimney.

2. Doors and Windows

Whenever an opening is cut or created in a wall, such as a door or window, it becomes the weakest point of the wall. Because of this, doors and windows often display the first signs of settlement in and outside your home. Look out for doors or windows that are out of square, cracks extending from the corners and the separation from the framing or exterior finish.

3. Foundation Cracking

  

Cracking in your foundation can be a sign of foundation settlement and is very common among brick and concrete block walls. As your soil and your home continue to settle further, vertical cracks may widen, indicating that the wall is rotating outward. Cracking can appear both inside and outside of your home such as cracks in your exterior walls and your concrete floor slab as well. Now, you may be thinking that "the cracks in my wall aren't that bad." But remember, all big cracks were once smaller cracks. It can be very beneficial to deal with the settlement problem before it grows out of hand.

4. Drywall Cracks

Settlement doesn't just affect the lower levels of your home.  Another common sign of settlement is drywall cracks in the upper levels of your home. When your foundation shifts and moves it creates pressure on the above walls and floors.  Some signs are cracks running along your drywall in the corners of doors and windows, cracks along drywall seams, or tape buckling, pulling or ripping.  

If you notice any of these signs of foundation settlement or other basement issues, Midwest Basement Systems can help make sure your home's foundation is strong and sturdy and ready for spring showers! Call us today at 1-515-289-1606 to schedule an appointment!