Arlington, TX · Guide
Signs of Foundation Problems — and What to Do About Them
Almost every Arlington house shows a crack somewhere. This guide helps you tell ordinary settling from the signs that merit an inspection, and lists the habits that protect a foundation.
01 — What this covers
The work itself
- Stair-step cracks in brick
- Diagonal cracks at doors and windows
- Sticking doors and windows
- Sloping or bouncy floors
- Gaps at trim, baseboards and ceilings
- Wide or offset cracks in the slab
- Watering, gutters and tree habits
02 — Detail
Signs you can see from the street
Look at the brick. Stair-step cracks along the mortar joints, especially near corners, a gap between brick and a window frame or a lintel that sags are the most visible indicators on a brick-veneer house. Trim under the eaves that separates from the wall can show movement too.
Look at the line of the roof and the garage door. A roofline that has changed or a garage door that no longer closes evenly can reflect movement.
03 — Detail
Signs inside
Doors are the best early warning. One that rubs at the top corner, won't latch or drifts open points to a frame that has gone out of square. Diagonal cracks that run away from the corners of doors and windows tell a similar story.
On floors, look for slopes, bounces and tile that cracks in a line. Gaps between baseboard and floor, cabinets pulling from the wall and cracks where walls meet ceilings are later signs.
04 — Detail
What's usually normal
Hairline cracks at drywall seams, small cracks in a garage floor along its joints and a door that sticks in a humid week are normal in a Texas house. One small crack that isn't changing doesn't mean trouble.
Look for patterns and for change. Mark the end of a crack with a pencil and the date. If it has grown a few months later, the movement is active.
05 — Detail
Habits that help
Keep the soil's moisture even. During dry spells, run a soaker hose a foot or two from the slab. In wet seasons, make sure water leaves the house: clean gutters, extend downspouts and keep the soil sloping away.
Watch trees and sprinklers. Keep new trees away from the foundation, consider a root barrier for big ones and make sure irrigation doesn't soak one wall while leaving another dry.
06 — Detail
When to call
Call when several signs appear together, when a crack keeps growing, before buying a house where movement was noted, after a plumbing leak under the slab and a year or two after a repair. The inspection with a local repair company is free, and useful even when the answer is “this is normal.”
07 — Detail
A yearly check that takes an hour
Once a year, in late summer when the soil is driest, walk through the house and around it. Note cracks, sticking doors, gaps at trim and the condition of the slab edge. Take dated photographs and compare them with last year's. That simple record makes any later inspection more useful.
How we work
Step by step
- 01
Walk around the house and inside it, noting cracks, doors and slopes.
- 02
Mark and date any crack that worries you.
- 03
Fix easy water problems: gutters, downspouts, grading.
- 04
Keep soil moisture even in dry spells.
- 05
Request an inspection if signs cluster or keep growing.
What it costs
Prevention is the cheapest repair there is. Gutters, extensions, grading and a soaker hose cost far less than a single pier.
Questions
Signs of Foundation Problems & What to Do — asked and answered
Does a brick crack always mean foundation trouble?
No. Brick also cracks with temperature and age. Stair-step cracks near corners that keep growing deserve a look.
How far from the slab should the soaker hose go?
About a foot or two, in dry spells.
Can foundation movement reverse?
Seasonal movement partly reverses. Ongoing settlement doesn't, but drainage can slow it.
Does one sticking door mean a problem?
Not on its own. Several, especially with cracks above them, are more telling.
Next step
Foundation services
Slab Foundation Repair
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Pier & Beam Foundation Repair
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Structural Foundation Repair
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Foundation Inspection
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Drainage & French Drains
A lot of foundation movement in Arlington starts with water in the wrong place. Gutters, downspouts, grading…