Where to start
Signs of a foundation problem
A foundation rarely shows its trouble directly. The brick, the doors and the floors report it instead, and every one of those has innocent explanations too. Choose the page that fits what is in front of you.
- Cracks in walls and brickStair-step lines in the mortar, diagonal cracks off door corners, a ceiling seam that keeps opening.What they can mean
- Doors and windows that stickA latch that misses its plate, a door that drifts open, a window that jams in one corner.Humidity or movement?
- Sloping or bouncy floorsA marble that rolls to the same wall every time, or a floor that gives underfoot.How floors are measured
- Cracked slab concreteCuring hairlines are one thing. A crack with a lip you can feel underfoot is another.Which cracks matter
- Pier and beam floorsOlder houses on posts and beams: sagging spans, loose shims, damp wood under the floor.Under the old houses
- A house settling on one sideWhen one end has dropped and the talk turns to piers, jacks and house leveling.What leveling involves
- Porch or chimney pulling awayA gap opening between the house and something built against it.Why add-ons move first
- Water pooling by the houseRain standing along the slab, downspouts discharging at the wall, beds that trap it.Drainage and the slab
One sign rarely settles it
One thin crack, or one awkward door, is thin evidence. Inspectors want a pattern: cracks, a tilted floor and binding doors crowding a single corner, each pointing the way the others point.
Then comes the question of change. A crack unchanged in ten years and a crack twice as wide as it was in March are two different findings.
Keep a simple record
Ten minutes of notes now makes the inspection quicker and the findings firmer.
- Photograph each crack with a coin or a tape measure beside it, and write the date on the photo or in its file name.
- Pencil a short line across the end of a crack and date it. If the crack grows past the mark, you will know.
- List the doors and windows that bind and note which corner rubs.
- Write down recent events: a long dry spell, a plumbing leak, a tree taken out, a new patio or pool.
When you are ready for someone to measure, this is what an inspection covers.
When you are ready
Pages can narrow it down. A level and a floor plan settle it.
Whichever side of the escarpment your house stands on, the answer comes from numbers taken on the spot. The firm that makes the visit then sets down on paper what it measured and what a repair would run to.
Sudden shifting, the smell of gas, or a wall that seems about to come down is a different matter: clear the house first, then dial 911 or your gas provider.
Have your New Braunfels house measured
Ring the number and describe the crack, door or floor that worries you. Whoever answers works for a foundation repair firm near New Braunfels, a separate and independent business, and can book a day to inspect.
Call (830) 879-9995Your call may be recorded. The referral disclosure explains who is paid.