While it’s never fun to realize that there’s something wrong in your home that needs to be fixed or replaced, what can make this matter even worse is if this issue stems from the actual foundation of your home. When something’s wrong with your foundation, the very safety of the structure and your family who lives there could be in jeopardy. But if you’re able to catch these issues early on, you could save yourself a lot of money and hardship in getting these problems fixed.
To help you realize when there’s an issue that needs to be addressed, here are three signs that could signify to you that your home has foundation problems.
Visible Cracks
One sure sign that there’s some kind of issue going on with the foundation of your home is if you begin to notice visible cracks throughout your property.
According to Gordon K. Hurd, a contributor to Realtor.com, the most common places that you’ll begin to see these cracks are on the walls, the floors, any columns that support the structure, and around door openings. When the foundation of your home is failing, these areas will start to shift, which is what causes the cracks in the first place. So if you see cracks in these areas of your home, there’s a good chance that it’s because your foundation isn’t holding up as it should.
Faulty Doors and Windows
Another sign that your home could have problems with the foundation is if you notice that your doors or windows either won’t open or close. And if they do open or close, they might not stay that way for long.
Just like the with cracks mentioned above, Jeanne Huber, a contributor to HouseLogic.com, shares that changes in the structure of the foundation can make it harder for doors to latch or for windows to open and close. This is because the way the doors or windows were initially laid out in the home have now moved.
New Gaps
Along with cracks and sticking doors or windows, foundational issues can also appear in the form of gaps.
Terri Williams, a contributor to Freshome.com, shares that if you can look around your home and you see gaps between the floor and the walls, between the walls and the ceiling, above any of your cabinetry, or between your closed garage door and the pavement, it could mean that your home has shifted on its foundation. Especially if you know those gaps weren’t there before or have noticeably gotten larger, you should definitely get a professional in to look at the foundation of your home.
If you have seen any of the above signs or symptoms around your home, it could mean that you’re having issues with your foundation that need to be addressed sooner rather than later.