Is your home foundation in need of repair? As winter turns to spring in Maine, you may have noticed some shifting in your home foundation. In most parts of the north United States the ground freezes during the winter months to a depth of several feet. Such ground freezing can lead to heaving of your home foundation. The forces involved can be destructive and cause problems in the interior and exterior of your home.
Knowing the early warning signs of home foundation troubles can head off problems that ultimately could cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix. The sooner you identify potential problems, the easier and less expensive it is to fix them.
Exterior or interior indications of foundation problems could be caused by either settlement or upheaval. Settlement means a portion of the house foundation has dropped below the original foundation elevation. Upheaval means the slab has risen above the original foundation elevation. This happens most often due to the introduction of moisture under the foundation.
Note that some damage is strictly “cosmetic” damage that does not interfere with the foundation’s load bearing capacity. These “cosmetic” items could be cracks in floor tiles, cracks in sheetrock, etc. A qualified foundation repair contractor or a structural engineer can help you determine if the problems you are faced with are cosmetic or will require foundation repair.
Identifying a Foundation Problem
Exterior indications of home foundation problems
- Doors that will not open or close properly
- Gaps at the corner of fascia trim
- Diagonal cracks in the wall at corners of doors and windows
- Gaps between the garage door and the pavement at either side of the garage door
- Windows that are hard to open and close
- Cracks in the exposed grade beam of the house
- Cracks in bricks and mortar
- Cracks in brick and mortar
Interior indications of home foundation problems
- Unlevel Floors
- Large cracks in the concrete slab
- Gaps above kitchen cabinets
- Cabinet doors that will not stay shut
- Diagonal cracks in the wall at corners of doors and windows
- Curling and tearing of existing sheetrock repairs
- Leaks and cracks in and around the fireplace