Signs of Foundation Problems in a Tyler Home

Which signs usually point to foundation movement?

These are the signs foundation contractors and engineers look for. One alone may be nothing. Several on the same side of the house usually mean that side moved.

• Stair-step cracks in brick that follow the mortar joints, often near corners or under windows
• Diagonal cracks in drywall running up and out from the corners of doors and windows
• Doors that stick, won't latch, or swing on their own, especially if they worked before
• Uneven gaps at the top of a door, so the gap is wide on one side and tight on the other
• A crack in the slab with a lip, where one side is higher than the other
• Floors that slope, or a marble that always rolls the same direction
• Gaps between walls and ceilings, around window frames, or where brick meets a window
• Cabinets or countertops pulling away from the wall

Which cracks are usually normal?

• Hairline cracks in drywall at seams that don't grow
• Thin shrinkage cracks in a slab with no lip, like the ones in most garage floors
• Small cracks in mortar that don't follow a stair-step pattern
• Cracks that open in late summer and close in winter by a small amount, which is the clay under the house moving with the seasons

Normal doesn't mean ignore it. Write down where it is and when you saw it.

Why do these signs show up in Tyler homes?

Many Tyler lots have sandy topsoil over red clay. The clay swells when it's wet and shrinks when it's dry, and it rarely does either evenly under a house. Summer is dry: July averages only 2.10 inches of rain at Tyler, per the National Weather Service. In a drought like 2011, when the city got less than 25 inches all year, the clay under the edges of a slab can shrink enough to drop that edge. Large trees close to the house and downspouts dumping at one corner make one side move more than the rest.

Brick veneer and drywall can't flex, so they crack first. That's why most people notice foundation movement in the walls and doors before they notice anything about the foundation itself.

How can you tell if the movement is still happening?

1. Mark the crack. Draw a short pencil line across each end and write the date next to it.
2. Photograph it with a ruler or coin for scale.
3. Check doors. Note which ones stick and when.
4. Look again in four to six weeks, and again after the season changes.

A crack that grows past your marks, or doors that keep getting worse, means the house is still moving. A crack that opens a little in summer and closes in winter is seasonal movement, which drainage and watering may be enough to manage.

What can you check yourself before calling?

• Walk the outside after a rain. Look for water standing next to the house or downspouts emptying at the wall.
• Look at the slab edge for gaps between soil and concrete in summer.
• Check the water bill. A jump with no new use can mean a leak under the slab.
• On pier and beam homes, look through the crawl space access for standing water, leaning piers, or missing shims, without crawling in if it's not safe.

If any of these turn up, the drainage page and the watering guide cover the fixes you can make first.

When should you call for a foundation inspection?

Call when cracks are growing, doors keep getting worse, a slab crack has a lip, floors slope enough to notice, or you're buying or selling the house. A foundation inspection tells you whether it's moving, why, and whether it needs slab repair, pier and beam repair, or just better drainage.