How to tell if a foundation is still settling
Signs of uneven settling include horizontal and vertical cracks, sticking doors, and gaps in floating floors. The lack of a straightforward way to know if mitigation efforts have worked stops homeowners from getting other work done, as ongoing movement could compromise new repairs and cause issues like squeaking to return.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
How to tell if a foundation is still settling
- 1Live in the house for a year to monitor cracks through different wet and dry seasonsDid this help you?
- 2Use a laser level to measure elevation changes against a fixed surface over timeDid this help you?
- 3Put a piece of tape across foundation cracks to see if it tears or shiftsDid this help you?
- 4checking the crawl space for visible leaks or wetnessDid this help you?
- 5planning to hire a general home inspectorDid this help you?
- 6posting photos online to get feedback from other homeownersDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“My question... is there any straightforward way to know these mitigation efforts are working? I feel like I have to know before getting any other work done to avoid compromising said work.”source ↗
“My concern is that, if the foundation continues to settle unevenly, the squeaks will just come back with a vengeance.”source ↗
“Should I be concerned about foundation problems or potentially other issues?”source ↗
“Over the last few years, I have noticed below issues: * Horizontal and vertical cracks in various places * Some doors sticking and not closing properly (top of door rubs against the frame) * Gaps in the floating floor”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Can you fix a settling foundation yourself on a tight budget?
- 4Is minor up and down movement in LVP flooring normal?
- 6How to keep leveled ground from becoming wavy over time
- 31Is a basement wall crack structural or just cosmetic?
- 15Why do foundation repairs cost so much more than quoted?
- 15How to tell if a discounted house has major foundation damage