Part 1: Recognizing the Warning Signs
A crack appears in the wall. A door becomes difficult to close. A floor starts to feel uneven.
Could these changes mean your home is settling?
In Part 1 of True Level Concrete’s video series, “Your House Is Sinking. Is It Fixable?”, we meet Ian, a True Level representative who inspected a home after the homeowners reported cracking in the foundation and exterior walls, along with damage inside.
The episode introduces the home and the concerns that prompted the inspection. It also raises a question many homeowners can relate to: What is happening to my home—and can it be fixed?
Understanding the warning signs
Foundation movement can show up in more than one place. True Level’s guide to settlement indicators identifies wall cracks, sloping floors, and sticking doors or windows as possible signs of a foundation issue. An assessment helps determine whether those symptoms reflect a minor concern or a more significant structural problem. Source: True Level Concrete, Signs of Settlement
For homeowners, the takeaway is to pay attention to changes and have their cause assessed before choosing a repair. Visible damage provides clues, but it does not tell the whole story.
What makes a foundation settle?
A home’s foundation depends on the ground beneath it for support. When that ground changes, the foundation can move.
True Level identifies three common contributors to settlement: soil drying and shrinking, soil becoming wet and soft, and fill soil that was not adequately compacted. These conditions can affect the support beneath a foundation. Source: True Level Concrete, What Causes Settlement
Those are possible causes of settlement generally. Determining what is happening at the home featured in this series requires an assessment of its specific conditions.
Why patching a crack may not solve the problem
When damage is visible, repairing the surface can feel like the obvious next step. But the appropriate repair depends on why the crack formed.
As True Level explains in its blog, sealing or injecting a crack can help with water intrusion or appearance in suitable situations. It does not necessarily stop underlying movement. If settlement continues, cracks can return or develop elsewhere. Source: True Level Concrete, Foundation Crack Repair: Why Simply Patching the Crack Often Isn’t Enough
Understanding the cause helps establish whether the home needs monitoring, crack repair, structural stabilization, or another approach.
Can a settling home be fixed?
Repair options exist for many foundation settlement problems. True Level’s foundation repair guide describes push piers and helical piers as methods used to support and stabilize foundations. The appropriate solution depends on the home, the soil conditions, and the nature of the movement. Source: True Level Concrete, Foundation Repair: What You Need to Know
Cracks in the walls, doors and windows that won’t close properly, and sloping floors—could your house be sinking? And if it is, can it be fixed?
Join Ian from True Level Concrete as he introduces a home inspected after the homeowners reported foundation cracks, exterior wall cracking, and interior damage. This full video brings together all four parts of “Your House Is Sinking,” exploring:
• Is it fixable? Introducing the home and the homeowners’ concerns.
• Tell-tale signs: Recognizing the warning signs of foundation settlement.
• Why your house is sinking: Understanding what can cause a foundation to settle.
• Lasting solutions: Exploring repair approaches that address the underlying cause of settlement.
Watch the full video to learn what to look for, why these changes happen, and how understanding the cause helps guide the right repair.
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