DOORS AND WINDOWS STICKING
Inspect your windows on a regular basis. Are the window sills pulling away from the wall? Maybe the windows will not open or close properly. The molding around the windows may also be starting to crack.
Seeing these warning signs will mean you need to call in a foundation repair expert to determine whether you have serious foundation issues.
The impact to the exterior of a wall from local differential settlement along the face of a wall can often be seen early on.
ADDITIONAL LOADING
DID YOU INSTALL A NEW ROOF? A SECOND FLOOR? BRICK OR STUCCO SIDING?
Often, remodeling and other upgrades do not affect structural loads on your foundation, but sometimes they do. A tile roof can add five times the load over your composite roof and up to ten times that of a cedar shake roof. Eventually that increased load may cause problems, especially if other conditions exist.
Removing an interior wall transfers the load to vertical section of that wall that now supports your roof and ceiling. The load can increase as much as ten times the original load that was spread across the previous wall. Second story additions can more than double the foundation load. Brick and other masonry siding, including stucco over previously wood siding, can add thousands of pounds per lineal foot of foundation load.
Doesn’t seem like much, but the foundation was designed for a specified dead load, combined with a live load, (Live loads refer to the dynamic forces from occupancy and intended use). They represent the transient forces that can be moved through the building or act on any structural element, that are calculated to support the original structure.
Understanding Settlement Impact There can be moderate to severe levels of settlement at various locations around your home depending on the cause or causes behind symptoms. Accordingly, there may be a moderate to severe impact to the structural system. The downward settlement of the foundation caused some exterior stud wall to be pulled downward. The impact to your homes structural system from local differential settlement can be severe, or quite possibly minor in nature for years until other factors mentioned increase the downward pull, causing the problems you see today.
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