The Tell-Tale Signs: Foundation Bowing, Shearing, and Settlement.

What is Foundation Settlement?

Foundation Settlement is the movement your home experiences when the soil below can no longer support its weight.

There are many signs that may indicate your home is experiencing a foundation settlement problem. These signs can be seen from both inside and outside your home.

Signs Outside Your Home:

·        Stair Step Cracking: Stair step cracking in brick or block walls is a common symptom of foundation settlement. As your home continues to settle further, vertical cracks may widen.

·        Separating Chimneys: Brick Chimneys are very heavy, and sometimes they are built on a separate foundation that is not connected to a home, increasing the chances it may settle.

·        Problem Doors and Windows: The weakest part of a wall is where there’s an opening. Due to this, we often see the first signs of an issue in windows and doors. Three of the most common issues that can be seen in windows and doors are:

-        Doors and windows out of square

-        Cracks extending from the corners of the door or window frames.

-        Doors and windows separating

Signs Inside Your Home:

·        Foundation Wall Cracks: Be on the lookout for stair-step or vertical cracks on your basement walls. Cracks caused by a foundation settlement issue will be narrow at the bottom of your wall, and widen as they rise.

·        Drywall Cracks: You can tell a drywall crack from a foundation wall crack as drywall cracks will generally extend outward from the corners of doors and windows, and follows the seams of the drywall.

What is Foundation Shearing?

Foundation Shearing happens when too much pressure from outside the wall is pushing in on the wall. Shearing refers to the bottom part of your basement or crawlspace wall breaking free and moving inward.

Signs of Shearing:

·        Stair-step cracks

·        Drywall Cracks

What is Foundation Bowing?

Foundation Bowing happens when pressure from the earth around the foundation of your home becomes too strong, and causes your walls to bow inward.

Signs of Bowing:

·        Cracks in the walls that are wider at the top than the bottom.

·        Floors that are not level

·        Doors, cabinets, and windows that do not shut properly.

·        Cracking in the upstairs plaster and/or drywall

·        Cracking in the exterior brickwork and/or caulking

·        Leaning of outside chimneys and/or porches.

 

If you notice any of these signs in your home, give Frank’s Basement Systems a call, and we will get your home’s foundation back up to standard!