3/12

Ground Around the House is Sinking

If you’re starting to suspect there might be something wrong with your foundation, walk the perimeter of your house to see if there is any sinking. If you do spot a sinking area, you might have a serious issue.

“(Sinking around the house) can happen due to serious water leakage or drainage issues,” says Scott Cam, founder of Blueprint Homes.

4/12

Bouncing Floors

Your home shouldn’t be a bounce house. Bouncy floors likely mean there’s an issue with the support for the floor.

“Soft and spongy floorboards are an indication that the structural floor beams have been severely damaged by termites,” says Imani Francies, a home foundation expert with Clearsurance.com. “It can also be caused by a variety of factors such as poor structural design, foundation settlement or moisture-related concerns in the crawl space.”

5/12

Weeds Near Foundation

No one likes weeds, and homeowners will like them even less if they’re spotted near the home’s foundation.

“If they’re just scattered about, it could be a coincidence,” says Dan Bailey, president of WikiLawn. “But if they’re clustered and very close to the foundation line, it could mean excess moisture in that area which is potentially causing problems in the foundation. It should go without saying, too, that if you see any weeds growing up from the foundation itself, this is a huge problem. It means there are cracks in it.”