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Ceiling Gap
Signs of Foundation FailureProblems in a crawlspace sometimes create a gap between the ceiling and an interior wall. This gap is trying to tell you something: there are problems brewing under your home that need your attention.
Is there a gap between your ceiling and interior wall?
Serious damage to your commercial or home foundation can develop immediately following construction, or years later as changes occur within the soils that surround and support your home. The gap you see between your ceiling and interior walls isn't just unattractive - it's a sign that the foundation beneath your home needs attention now.
Common Signs
Look for a gap between the ceiling or floor and the interior walls of your home. You may also notice sloping floors, gaps around door frames, sticking doors or cracks in the wall.
How did this happen?
Drying and shrinking soils
During prolonged dry periods, the soils around your home may begin to dry. Clay soils shrink considerably when they dry, creating a void between the structure and the soil it's relying on to support it. When this happens, your foundation settles as well, frequently resulting in structural damage.
Poorly compacted fill soil
When leveling a lot to prepare it for your home's foundation, builders often use soil from another location to fill hollow or depressed areas. This recently excavated fill soil can be looser and lighter than the dense, hard-packed virgin soils already present. To compensate, builders frequently compact the fill soil thoroughly before placing a foundation. If this compaction is not done, or is done poorly, your home's weight may cause the soil to compress, leading to foundation settlement issues.
Wetting and softening of soil
Water can pose a danger for your home's foundation in several ways:
Heavy rain and flooding: When clay soils contact water, they retain it and become very soft. Soft soil does not bear loads well, causing heavy objects to sink into it.
Poor drainage: If water is allowed to "pool" next to the home due to poor soil grading, clogged gutters or some other factor, soils absorb the water. If soils around the home are clay, they will soften. This can cause the home to sink.
Plumbing leaks and broken water lines: Plumbing leaks under or near a home can saturate soils around it, potentially weakening their load-bearing capacity. Often, plumbing leaks push soil out from under the home, creating a void into which a home or building can sink.
The Real Estate Seller Disclosure Act requires foundation repair needs to be disclosed to potential home buyers. Realtors tell us they are forced to discount homes with foundation structural defects 10-20% to make a sale. What is your home worth in today's market? Imagine losing that much money from your home's value by not permanently fixing your foundation!
Don't let problems like these rob you of your peace of mind.
Find a dealer near you to fix them, so you can breathe easy and sleep well tonight.