Check on Your Foundation This Spring

Spring is officially here and you’re slowly going through your seasonal checklist: clean cobwebs; change out filters; clean patio furniture; and maybe deep clean carpets? One more thing to add to your list is a complete check of your home’s foundation. Spring is the time for movement. The kind of movement where your soil expands and contracts due to water pressure or over-saturation with heavy rains. That puts pressure on your home’s foundation. Here are a few things to check before you call us:

New cracks

Cracks are either a sign of foundation movement or it could be standard construction cracks that appear in new builds. Err on the side of caution and have us inspect those cracks. One thing about cracks is that they don’t get better with time, they get better with us. During your free inspection we will be up front with you if the cracks are worrisome or if they turn out to be benign.

Existing cracks

Check any existing cracks that were there before winter. Have they expanded or traveled further along the wall? Here’s a trick: Mark the end of the crack with tape and if it moves past the tape you know that it’s actively expanding. You will definitely want a professional inspection before things get worse.

Sticking doors and windows

If you’ve noticed your doors and windows getting stuck upstairs, that’s a sure sign of foundation settlement. Heavy rains could have caused soil to wash out under your home. Water pressure and soil saturation also place pressure on your foundation walls causing them to potentially bow and weaken. Either way, this must be addressed.

Sloping floors

If you notice a depression in your upstairs floors, this is a concerning sign of settlement and this could require a wall stabilization solution to fix the issue. Sloping floors mean that the problem is ongoing and needs to be addressed immediately.

Working to catch these issues early is your best line of defense this Spring. Schedule a free inspection with us so we can get your home ready for summer!

Schedule your free inspection.