Foundation Care

House detective John Tullous visits a house in Wilmington, North Carolina that had so many different problems with its foundation, it was like a textbook on the subject.

More from House Detective

There were plain signs of serious foundation problems: cracks, windows and doors that stick and uneven floors. But preventing foundation trouble is much easier than curing it. One problem our House Detective found was excess weight on the foundation. And it's true that it's not a good idea to put the waterbed, the safe and the baby grand all in the same corner of the house.

But the main issue for foundations is controlling moisture.

Soils are the key. Sandy soils swell as they get wet, putting pressure on the foundation. Clay soils are even worse.
Keep soil around your home evenly watered. Don't water too much in one spot.
When it's rainy, make sure downspouts and grading draw water away from the foundation. And when it's hot and very dry, you may need to water parched earth once in a while, so it doesn't shrink up around the foundation and cause it to shift.

Now, if your foundation has developed wide cracks or some of the other symptoms seen in Wilmington, it's too late for self-help. It's time to call a structural engineer.