Orlando houses
Signs of a foundation problem
Foundation trouble rarely announces itself. It shows up as small things that do not add up: a crack that was not there last year, a door that needs a shove. Pick the sign closest to what you are seeing.
- Stair-step cracks in wallsZigzag cracks through stucco and block, or slanting away from a window.Look closer
- Sticking doors and windowsThe latch misses, the top edge scrapes, or the door drifts open unaided.Look closer
- Sloping or cracked floorsA marble finds the same wall each time; tile splits in one long path.Look closer
- Foundation crack repairSplits in the concrete itself, and when sealing one is enough.Look closer
- House settling on one sidePart of the building is dropping while the remainder stays put.Look closer
- Crawl space and pier and beam repairSpringy timber floors and tired piers under a raised older home.Look closer
- Porch, steps or pool deck pulling awayAttached concrete parting from the wall: stoop, lanai, deck or drive.Look closer
- Water pooling next to the houseRain ponding by the wall or carving the sand below the eaves.Look closer
Before you call: ten minutes of notes
The first thing a repair company asks is what you have seen and where. Notes make that conversation short and useful.
- Walk around the outside of the house once and the inside once. List every crack, gap and sticking door, room by room.
- Photograph each one with a coin or tape measure in the frame, and keep the date.
- Note which side of the house most of them are on.
- Write down when you first noticed each, and whether it followed a dry spell, a storm or building work nearby.
- Find out how old the house is and whether it sits on a slab or on piers.
- Gather any earlier repair papers, permits or engineer's letters.
What signs cannot tell you
A list of signs narrows the possibilities. It does not say what is wrong with your house, how serious it is or what it will take to put right. That takes measurements at the house, and sometimes soil testing. Treat these pages as preparation for an inspection, not a replacement for one.
Ready to have the house looked at?
Only someone standing at the house can tell you what is going on under it. Call, explain what you have noticed, and ask for an inspection.
Describe the problem, book an inspection
Say where the cracks or dips are and when you first saw them. The independent local foundation repair company you reach can set a time to look at the house.
Call (407) 598-8829The call may be recorded. See how referrals are paid for and what happens to your details.