9 Foundation Issues That Your Home Inspector Won’t Miss
A Home Inspector’s Guide To The Most Common Home Foundation Problems
Foundation problems can be stressful, but they don’t have to break the bank. You can save money, stress, and headaches with early detection and proper home maintenance. The best way to ensure that is by bringing in a home inspector so they can tell you what you need to do in your house (if anything at all).
El Mirage home inspectors are a crucial part of the home buying process, and they can let you know all about foundation issues, termites, and mold before you buy or sell a house.
However, before calling your inspector, we recommend reading these nine serious home foundation issues you should be aware of.
1. Tougher Doors & Windows
A stubborn window can be enough to delay a sale or purchase. Sometimes you only need to clean it, but other times, your windows may indicate a foundation problem, especially if you notice a few windows and doors getting tougher to close.
Unstable foundations tend to shift, distorting the shape of the frames and making the windows and doors unable to latch.
Pay attention to your doors and windows to ensure there are no serious problems with your foundation.
2. Sagging Floors Or Ceilings
Sagging floors and ceilings can also warn you about foundation problems. When your home’s foundation moves, it compacts walls and beams. These movements can cause the weight of your house to remain unevenly in some areas, leading to warped floors and ceilings.
Have you seen your floor recently? A telltale sign of foundation problems is a sloped floor. Contact a Glendale home inspection company to ensure your flooring is in good condition.
You can also use a level to check your home’s floor and see if there’s any change.
3. Musty Smells
You may be familiar with that musty smell in basement corners and crawlspaces. Sadly, that smell can be a warning sign of foundation problems.
The smell is usually mildew and could be due to leaking walls or extreme humidity in the environment. The problem can also be plumbing related or caused by outside moisture going through cracks in your home’s foundation.
Blocked gutters can cause basement-related foundation problems, so give your gutters a maintenance check-up to ensure they are still protecting your home. If you continue having issues with a damp basement, even after cleaning your gutters, you may need professional help.
4. Sources Of Mold
Like mildew in the basement, seeing mold in the corners of windows and walls is not cute. It usually means your home is accumulating a lot of moisture.
Most people use a dehumidifier to eradicate this problem. However, you should check mold-prone areas before buying anything to ensure there are no foundation-related cracks and gaps. These cracks could be letting in the water!
Contact a Goodyear home inspection company if you want to ensure your house is in good condition and mold-free.
5. Gaps Between Exterior Windows & Walls
Gaps between your façade and front door or windows could indicate foundation problems. They may be pulling apart because of a shifting foundation.
These gaps can allow insects like termites and water into your house. This could cause more structural damage over time.
6. Bowed Walls
Check your interior and exterior walls to ensure they are not bowing. If you notice them beginning to do that, check your home’s foundation, as it may be already moving.
Do not mistake a paint blister for bowing! Paint blisters often indicate water damage to your paint or drywall and are not foundation-related.
7. Damaged Chimney
Keep an eye on chimney movements. The chimney movement is another warning of foundation problems. It could collapse entirely and cause severe damage to your property if it shifts too much.
Call a professional if your chimney looks strange.
8. Nails Popping Out Of Drywall
Those small, round cracks in your walls can indicate if you have nail pops. Nail pops are easy to fix, but if they happen too often, you may have foundation issues.
A Glendale home inspection company can help you identify the issue with your nail pops, including if you have foundation damage.
9. Any Cracks In the Wall Or Floor
Cracks in the walls and floors of your home are the most alarming signs of foundation issues. However, not all cracks are foundation-related. For example, small cracks near window and door frames are caused by seasonal expansion of the drywall. You can repair seasonal cracks with spackling paste.
Contact A Top-Rated Phoenix Home Inspector If All Fails
We know that checking these details is not easy, so contact ATS Home Inspections to ensure a proper home inspection and see if your house is ready for selling or buying. Contact us now at atshomeinspectionsllc.com to get started!
ATS Home Inspections LLC
15770 W Gelding Dr
Surprise, AZ 85379
Phone (623) 266-8846
Email: tkolb@atshomeinspectionsllc.com
Website: atshomeinspectionsllc.com
