The most reliable signs of foundation problems are sticking doors and windows, diagonal cracks at the corners of openings, stair-step cracks in brick, and floors that slope or bounce. One sign alone is rarely conclusive. Several together — or any that are getting worse — mean it’s time to get the house measured.
Foundation Repair Baton Rouge sees these signs every week, and the honest answer is that many of them have harmless explanations too. Here’s how to read them.
Signs on slab homes
- Doors and windows that stick or won’t latch. Especially if it’s seasonal and worse each August, when the clay under the slab edge dries out.
- Diagonal drywall cracks at door and window corners. The most common early sign of one part of the house moving relative to another.
- Stair-step cracks in brick. Cracks following mortar joints in a staircase pattern usually mean the beam under that wall has dropped. See brick veneer crack repair.
- Cracks in floor tile in a line. Tile cracks that run across several tiles often trace a crack in the slab beneath.
- Gaps between walls and ceilings or at window frames. Separations that open over time point to movement.
- Sloping floors. Roll a marble or use a level; better still, get laser readings.
Signs on pier and beam homes
- Floors that slope toward one wall or bounce. Usually failed shims, a sinking pier or rotted sills. See pier and beam repair.
- Gaps under baseboards and doors that swing on their own. The frame has moved out of level.
Outside the house
- Water pooling against the slab, soil pulling away from the foundation, or a sunken garage apron. These are causes as much as symptoms — and the cheapest to fix.
Signs that usually aren’t serious
- Hairline cracks in a slab or garage floor under 1/8 inch that aren’t growing — almost always normal shrinkage.
- A single nail pop or small drywall crack with no other signs.
- Minor seasonal door sticking that doesn’t get worse year over year.
What to do next
Photograph and date the cracks, measure their width, and watch them through a season. If they grow, or if several signs appear together, get a measured evaluation. Our free evaluation includes a laser elevation survey that tells you whether the house has actually moved. See house settling vs foundation problems and how big is too big for a foundation crack.
Bottom line
One sign is a reason to watch; several signs, or signs that are getting worse, are a reason to measure. For a free laser survey, call Foundation Repair Baton Rouge.