If you’ve noticed that the windows and doors around your DFW home have been sticking, foundation failure may be the cause. While it may be tempting to dismiss the problem as minor, you should check to ensure that it is not causing larger problems to your property.
Signs of Foundation Problems:
To come up with the proper solution to your window and door problem, it’s essential to learn about the signs of property foundation issues. If you find the following present in your home then it could reveal the presence of an issue with the foundation. These are just telltale signs, not absolute indicators, so you should still hire a professional to assess your foundation properly.
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The doors and windows are sticking.
If your property has a settling problem, it can cause the slab of your home to shift. This movement will result in your doors and window frames bending and becoming uneven. As a result, they might stick, making it difficult to close or open your doors and windows.
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The appearance of door and window frames gaps.
In relation to your doors and windows sticking, foundation movement will also cause the separation of frames. These gaps compromise the security of your home. When the frames don’t align properly, it’s impossible to close your doors and windows securely.
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Presence of wall cracks.
The movement of the foundation creates stress with your home structure. It’s inevitable that the interior or exterior wall becomes damaged. You might find your walls lined with cracks.
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The appearance of sloping floors.
If your foundation shifts this will also cause uneven flooring in your property. This will make your home less attractive and diminish its value.
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Garage door experiencing closing issues.
If it’s difficult to close your garage doors, they look crooked, or there’s a gap between the door and ground when shut, you likely have a foundation problem.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, there is high clay soil content. This can cause settlement or upheaval of the foundation. Garage doors have been known to come off their tracks. It’s vital then to have a professional examine your foundation to prevent hefty expenses in the future.
Why Do Doors and Windows Stick?
Doors and windows stick when the soil surrounding your home expands and contracts with changes in temperature. During the rainy season, it will expand since there’s plenty of moisture from the ground. During the summer season, it will shrink since moisture is evaporated by the hot sun. This impacts your property’s foundation greatly and will result in its sinking. These structural issues must be addressed right away to avoid expensive costs later on.
When your foundation moves because of soil settlement or shrinkage, your house framing twists and becomes distorted. This will result in cracks in your walls, sloping floors, and gaps between doors and windows. This is the main reason that your doors and windows might become tough to open or close.
Common Sources of Windows and Door Cracks
If you determine that your foundation is the root cause for your doors and windows sticking, it can be due to various problems. These include:
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Settling Foundations
Soil settlement and shrinkage can be a big issue, leading to twisted frames.
This causes skewed doors, windows, and floors. Walls are also likely to crack. Installing foundation piers in specific places can solve this. Doing so leads to less settlement and stabilizes your home foundation or may even allow it to be lifted back to its original state.
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Sinking Crawl Space Supports
When your crawl space support columns sink due to excess water, you must first solve the water problem. A crawl space should be bone dry. You will also notice the floor is uneven or sloping. This also contributes to interior walls moving which can lead to jammed windows and doors.
Solving the water problem stops floor sinking and sagging. In minimal time a foundation repair company can install the shims to correct the sagging floors.
How Do You Resolve Sticking Doors and Windows?
There are several solutions when it comes to doors and windows that are sticking due to foundation issues. These include:
- Installing steel push piers to bedrock.
- Installing helical piers to the zone of seasonal moisture stability.
- Installing concrete pilings to a depth of 10-20 feet.
Installing steel push piers or helical piers will help stabilize your home and may even raise the foundation to regain lost elevation.
Conclusion
Doors and windows are crucial to your property and help maintain the air circulation, safety exists, lighting, and security of your home. For these reasons, it is crucial that they function properly. If they don’t close properly, this may be a hint that your foundation needs repair.
Granite Foundation Repair can help when it comes to foundation issues of your home. Give us a call today at 972-412-2171. We offer free foundation inspections from professional structural engineers. We have expertise in solving foundation issues and can help solve your issue in the fastest and most cost-effective way on the market.