How to: Check Your Home’s Foundation

As years pass, your home’s foundation is likely to shift. While some change is acceptable and normal, drastic shifting or settling over short periods of time may indicate a problem. The best way to identify problems is through regular walkthroughs in and around your home.

Foundation Check-Up Tips

1. Check the Grade Around Your Home

The soil around the perimeter of your home should be sloped away from the home. This diverts water from your home’s foundation. If the grade of the land around your home is too flat, and you notice flooding or ponding near your home, consider the drainage outside of your home. Learn more about waterproofing.

2. Examine Foundation Walls

One of the telltale signs of foundation damage are cracks in walls. Check for signs of shifting and settling. These may look like long vertical cracks. Horizontal cracks are typically indicative of lateral settlement.

3. Cracks in the Home

Settling and shifting in the home can also cause cracks to develop along walls and door frames. Cracks that seem to appear suddenly out of nowhere, or cracks associated with malfunctioning doors and windows, indicate problems with your crawlspace or foundation.

4. Use a Laser Level

During residential construction, foundations are designed to be perfectly level to ensure even, slow settling. However, if your home is experiencing foundation problems, it may settle unevenly. To determine how level your home's foundation is, use a laser level in your basement or crawlspace. If different points in your basement are extremely uneven, then you definitely have foundation issues in your home.

Don’t Be Afraid to Call the Experts!

For more tips on for checking your home’s foundation, contact the residential foundation experts at United Structural Systems. What happens when you schedule an appointment? USS sends out an experienced Project Manager to perform an honest, reliable, and comprehensive foundation review that will help diagnose any basement, crawl space, or foundation issues occurring in your home. We believe it’s part of our job to educate homeowners on what exactly needs to be fixed so they can make an educated decision on how to proceed with repairs. Once you’ve been informed on the issues at hand, our experts can help you find the best solution for your home and budget, and provide you with a FREE estimate. Call (615) 227-2275 or fill out the form below to contact our team today.