Signs of a Bad Foundation

[Henry Holt]

I have been researching all the components of a house, and have been coming up with comprehensive lists of things to look for when analyzing a house.  I have copied and pasted some of the research I've done on foundations below; I collected this info from various websites.  Instead of creating a list for each of the major components of the house, I was hoping that someone could direct me to lists that have already been made, so that I don't have to recreate the wheel.  Could someone direct me to these lists on bigger pockets, if they exist?

My overall goal is not to become an expert at each of the components of the house, but to be able to identify when I need to bring in an expert.

Thanks everyone!

Signs of a bad foundation:

Identifying a Foundation Problem

Exterior indications of foundation problems

Area around house: (1) Street/sidewalk/driveway/other houses in the area. The problem is generally the soil underneath the foundation.If this area has bad soil, the house could easily have a bad foundation. Look for cracks or unleveled streets (2) History: Has there been any flooding/earthquakes/blasting near this area that could have affected the foundation (3) Soil Sloping (4) Pooling of water (or signs of it on the ground from looking at the dirt) / poor drainage

House: (1) Gaps at the corner of fascia trim (2) Diagonal cracks in the wall at corners of doors and windows (3) Cracks in the exposed grade beam of the house (4) Cracks in bricks and mortar (5) Look for bulging of any walls (6) Gaps between the garage door and the pavement at either side of the garage door

Interior indications of foundation problems

Windows & Doors: (1) Will not open or close properly.(2) Look at bottom of door/window to see if it is parallel with the door frame (3) Door frame cracks in corners (4) Sheet rock cracks in corners (5) Latches won’t secure in place (6) When doors are installed, typically they open and close effortlessly and the latch has no problem finding its home.

Floors: (1) Unleveled (2) Cracks

Concrete slab: (1) Cracks (if slab is visible)

Walls/Ceiling: (1) Cracks, look in corners (2) Horizontal and vertical lines, and eyeball to see if they are straight (3) Look on walls for painter’s tape and drywall compound, to see if they are covering cracks. The wall will be slightly raised there due to the extra drywall compound (4) Curling or tearing of existing sheetrock repairs (5) Has the house been recently painted? If so, if it has been 6 months and there are no cracks, there is a good chance there is no movement in the foundation.

Fireplace: (1) Cracks in or around (2) Leaks (3) Look at the fireplace facade. Due to the weight of the fireplace and chimney, the greatest settling of a slab foundation can happen here.

Closets (1) Look in/around closets, because usually those cracks aren’t repaired

Is The House Funny? Ever been in a funny house at the carnival? “I have been in a few funny houses that were not at the carnival. By nature, our equilibrium can pick up on sloped foundations. If you get that “funny house feeling” then delve a little further as to why.”