Foundation issues can cause serious problems for your home. But many of the signs of foundation issues are fairly tame. Are brick cracks or basement wall cracks no big deal, or is it a sign of larger foundation problems? What about issues with window or door frames that are separating from the brick on your home’s exterior? Sometimes it’s best to check with a foundation professional to determine whether the crack in house foundation that you’re seeing is a problem. Here are ten signs of foundation issues in your home.

1. Exterior Wall Cracks

Generally speaking, small cracks on your steps or exterior walls are no big deal, but are part of concrete setting up. However, if you notice that the cracks are large or have a zigzag pattern, you could have a range of foundation issues. If you have cracking bricks, or bricks that are protruding from the wall, you should also have the foundation checked by a professional.

2. Drywall Cracks Inside

If you start seeing zig zag cracks in your interior walls that run the height of the wall, wallpaper pulling away from the way or cracks between the wall and the ceiling, it’s time to contact a foundation professional. These signs show that the foundation is settling unevenly, adding stress to the wall system.

3. Out-Of-Square Doors and Windows and Unlevel Floors

Though few homes are still perfectly plumb after settling, doors or windows that are out of square, windows that are hard to operate or uneven floors need to be checked out quickly for foundation problems. This is especially true if you’re seeing the floor sloping more than an inch or two over 15 feet.

4. Frames Separating from Brick

When a window or door frame has started to separate or pull away from the brick wall of your home, this is a strong sign that your foundation issues need to be addressed by a professional. Don’t put off these foundation issues but get help quickly, before you have to repair even more damage.

5. Piers or Beams with Rotten Wood

Though this can be a sign of things other than foundation issues, it still needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. Whether it’s a flood, insect infestation or damp crawlspace or basement, rotting wood is a sign that there are serious foundation issues that should be addressed.

6. Bouncy Floors

If you’re having issues with floors that feel bouncy or weak, it could be because they’re not receiving the support that they need, often because your foundation has settled down beneath them. Because of the potential issues this could signal, have these issues checked.

7. Cracking or Popping Tiles

Tiles are hard and strong, but they can also be brittle. Though there can be a number of things that can cause tiles to crack or pop off of their backing, having several of them popping loose or breaking can be a sign of serious foundation issues.

8. Separation of Expansion Joints

Expansion joints are included in your home to compensate for any expected motion in your structure, including temperature changes, humidity, wind, earth shifting, and similar occurrences. However, foundation issues can also cause these joints to separate so widely that it can fail.

9. Nail Pops in Drywall

It’s common to have a small number of nails pop out in drywall as the wood dries further and shrinks around the nails. However, seeing a number of them suddenly popping in a short period of time could be a sign that there are more serious foundation problems taking place.

10. Wall Pulling Away From the Home

When walls start to pull away from the home, foundation contractors should be contacted immediately. Failure to do so can lead to the wall collapsing, causing serious damage.

If you have more than one or two of these warning signs of foundation issues, it’s vital that you get in touch with a foundation contractor. If you need help finding the right solutions for your foundation woes, Moisture Loc can help. Please contact us today with any questions you may have, for more details, or to schedule a consultation.