7 Signs of Stress In a Home.

Feeling Stressed?

7 signs of stress at home

Bowing

Sagging

Sinking

Snug or tight

Cracking

Heaving

Sticking

Homes fall victim to stress just as people do.  Your home shows signs of physical stress when the foundation is compromised. Smaller, subtle, changes may be more difficult to detect or easy to overlook. As the situation gets worse, the signs are more severe.

1. Bowing. If your walls look bloated your foundation walls are feeling the weight of the soil one the other side. Those stair-step cracks, cracking of foundation corners, bowing or bulging, wall sliding inwards at the bottom or leaning in at the top are all signs of foundation wall failure.
2. Sagging. A home with a crawl space may show sinking or sagging in the middle, indicating structural problems. Tilting or sinking of the crawl space supports, sagging, sloping, or uneven floors, drywall cracks, unleveled door and window frames are all signs of structural concerns in your crawl space.
3. Sinking. Foundation settlement may show as sinking. Those stair-step cracks, leaning or tilting chimney, cracks around doors or windows, crack in concrete slab floor, and cracks in drywall can all be signs of foundations settlement.
4. Snug/Tight. When windows and door start to get more difficult to open and close, maybe they rub or jam in the frame your home is showing the integrity of the foundation is compromised. These are many possibilities to these subtle signs but very important.
5. Cracks. Wall cracks, floor cracks, mortar cracks... you get the idea. Cracks do not happen without reason. Builders choose materials expecting wear and tear, daily living. Typically cracks do not come overnight and will continue to get worse.
6. Heave. Slab foundations can also show upheaval, or upward movement. Most commonly with cracking interior walls, less common with cracking on outside walls.
7. Sticking. Doors and windows can get stuck indicating the frames have shifted.

Because most of these things to watch for fall under more than one sign of stress an inspection is necessary to determine the specific cause for your home. Looking at the structure of your home and the soil and any other environmental factors surrounding your foundation is the only way to determine the true cause for your home’s stress. Your home is a large investment, protecting you and your loved ones. Be sure to protect your home.