888.662.3363Cracked & Settling Foundation Warning Signs
If you have foundation cracks at your home, it means that the earth has been moving underneath your home. Natural soil settlement and ground movement can cause a home to shift or even sink usually a few inches but as much as a 
few feet. This pressure on the residential foundation can cause cracks, chips, and crumbling. Windows will begin to stick, doors won't open or close properly, the chimney may separate from the structure. All of these are tell tale signs you probably need to get an inspection of your foundation. Only use a trained professional structural repair firm or a structural engineer.
There are a few ways that a cracked foundation can be fixed by Anchored Walls, and our professional foundation repair specialists will be able to evaluate the problem and provide the most effective solution for the foundation problem. Foundation repair is really not a do-it-yourself project. If you aren't entirely sure of what you're doing, the results can be time-consuming, frustrating, costly, and even dangerous. Save yourself the time and hassle and call us at 888-662-3363 if you notice any of the foundation warning signs.
Cracked Walls
Cracked Walls
Vertical cracks along a home's foundation most commonly result due to poor construction practice or when homes settle and shift in the soil beneath them. These foundation cracks are seen in both newly built homes as well as in homes that have been standing for awhile. While vertical wall cracks in the foundation don't often lead to horizontal foundation cracks, they commonly allow water to seep inside and this can cause severe damage to your basement or crawl space area.
Unfortunately, nobody wants to live in a home or buy a home with leaking foundation wall cracks. Damaged or deteriorating foundation walls will eventually lead to a variety of other structural problems for your home, and if left untreated may cause you to never be able to sell it if you plan on moving at any time. Foundation cracks may actually cause your home's resale value to decrease by 10% or more.
Please contact our foundation repair specialists at Anchored Walls at your earliest convenience.
Bowed Walls
Bowed Walls
There are many reasons why you may have cracked, bowed, buckling and leaning foundation walls, but the most common reason is due to excessive pressure being put on the walls from the soil outside of them. When clay soil around foundation walls absorb moisture, it swells up and puts a great deal of pressure around the exterior of the wall itself. In addition to swollen clay soil, a great deal of pressure is often the result of a non-functioning or compromised foundation drain system and a buildup of moisture behind the wall. This is often referred to as hydrostatic pressure, which is water pressure.
Excessive pressure placed on foundation walls can be noticed from wide cracks, bowing and leaning, or tilted foundation walls. When there's continuous water and soil pressure being placed on the foundation walls, it causes further weakening and inward wall movement which causes cracks and bowing. Other common causes of foundation wall failure include soil expansion due to frost or tree root growth.
Please feel free to contact us for more information about cracked and settling foundation repair.
Sinking Foundation
Sinking Foundation
If your home is resting on unstable soil, it can cause your foundation to start sinking, which needs to be addressed as soon as you notice that something just isn't right with your home. Repairing your sinking foundation will not only prevent further damage to your home, but will also save you many future repair costs, if the situation gets worse.
If you notice that your home is gradually slanting or tilting to one side, you definitely have some sort of sinking foundation problem that needs to be addressed and fixed immediately. Besides actually seeing that your home is un-level, there are other things which can indicate that your home has a sinking foundation.
If your windows and doors don't seem to open or close as they should, this could indicate that there is a sinking foundation problem at your home in IA. You should also keep an eye out for cracks in concrete slabs in your basement and along the walls in your home. You may also notice a formation of water near the base of your home which could possibly imply that there is some sinking foundation problem at your residence. Foundation problems may also be indicated by the un-level or sloping floors inside of your home.
Uneven Floors
Uneven Floors
If your home has uneven floors, bulging, leaning or bowed walls, or a chimney that pulls away from the house, then chances are very likely that you have a foundation problem on your hands. A foundation will usually sink somewhat over time when the soil has a high clay content. This causes it to expand and contract when moisture is present. Since the soil settlement isn't hardly ever even, it causes foundation problems such as uneven floors in homes all over Iowa.
When the soil starts expanding, it lifts the foundation, and then when it dries, it creates a void between the soil and the structure itself. A concrete foundation will sink into the void and then you are left with cracked tiles and uneven floors inside your home due to the shifting and settling. Other causes of soil expansion include over-watering and uneven watering of your lawn or garden.
Stuck Doors
Stuck Doors
There are numerous conditions which can spark your home's foundation to become unstable, resulting in a variety of problems such as stuck doors. Foundation movement can cause interior problems inside your home such as interior wall and ceiling cracks, buckling floors, and jammed windows and doors. Problems can be more apparent on the exterior of a building or home when visible horizontal or vertical cracks start to appear.
A common cause of foundation settlement is due to clay soil expansion beneath your home in IA rainy, wet conditions. Also, dry conditions can cause the soil to contract and move about which causes foundation movement. Repeated expanding and contracting causes the ground to shift and puts stress on the foundation, which eventually causes it to sink or crack.
Drywall Cracks
Drywall Cracks
It is not all that uncommon to find cracks in a concrete foundation along a home in IA. This holds true for newly-constructed homes or homes that have been built for awhile. While some foundation cracks can signify a serious structural problem with a home, many are considered shrinkage or settlement cracks.
Foundation shrinkage cracks are common in newly-built and old foundation walls alike. Poured concrete shrinks as it settles. As the concrete shrinks, small vertical or horizontal cracks may begin showing up over time at basement windows, door openings, or corners. These are typically referred to as stress or surface cracks. The concern here is with water seepage and moisture intrusion into your basement or crawl space area.
The same can be true of drywall cracks at your home. Stress or settling of your home's foundation may lend its hand to producing cracks in your drywall. The drywall cracks can start out small at about a ΒΌ inch, and grow larger if left untreated.