What does foundation repair do for your home? Is it going to make it look better or what? Some people just want to see real photo evidence of the kinds of changes you will see in your home when foundation problems are corrected with foundation repair. Ask and ye shall receive . . .
We understand the stress and anxiety that comes from dealing with foundation problems. After 35+ years in business at Anchor Foundation Repair, we want you to see and understand as much about foundation problems and repair as you want and we’ve got no secrets to hide from the Brazos Valley community.
This article will present common visual signs of foundation issues and show the before and after results with real on-the-job photos. This way you can see with your own eyes what foundation repair can do for your home. Let’s take a stroll through this gallery . . .
Top Signs of Foundation Problems Fixed by Foundation Repair
Let’s quickly review the top signs of foundation problems before we get to the gallery. This is a good way to verify that the visual problems you are seeing around your home are caused by foundation issues. The most common signs you have a foundation settlement problem are:
- Diagonal Cracks in Drywall
- Stair-Step Brick Cracks
- Door Fit and Door Locking and Latching Issues
- Gaps and Separations Around Windows or Door Frames
- Finish Trim or Fixture Separations
Most foundation problem signs typically present themselves on vertical surfaces in the finishing layers of your home. The cosmetic coverings on a structure will reveal foundation issues first because they are supposed to look nice and neat and work correctly but then they don’t when foundation settlement occurs.
Looking at the finish-work in a home is the easiest way to tell that something has changed from when your home was built.
If you want more info on the true and confusing signs of foundation problems check out the Ultimate Picture Guide to Foundation Problems (Real + Misleading Signs).
Ok, let’s move on to what you really want to see . . . that photo gallery!
Foundation Repair Before and After Photos
Want to see what kind of difference foundation repair can make for your home? These real-life before and after photos capture the immediate visual effects of foundation repair after the home has been raised back to its original elevation.
Please note: These are not stock photos. The pictures were not taken by a professional photographer and were not perfectly shot with optimal angles and flawless lighting. They were taken by professional foundation repair dudes who know how to repair your foundation perfectly, but are likely not destined to be the next Ansel Adams.
All pictured homes are authentic projects that we have worked on here in the BCS area and nothing was staged. These are real, local Brazos Valley homes.
Our photo gallery is not in any sort of order. We just found some before and afters that the guys put together for us recently. They might not even be the most striking before and afters we’ve ever done, just recent.
Diagonal Drywall Cracks Corrected By Foundation Repair
Diagonal drywall cracks are the most telltale and easily identifiable sign of foundation issues. Foundation settlement is the only reason that drywall will do this sort of thing.
Foundation repair will close up drywall cracks and bring the drywall back together. In these photos, you can’t even see where the cracks once were. Mind you, the cracks have not been mended, just closed back up.
Please understand that foundation repair contractors do not spackle, patch, or repaint your drywall after raising your home. You’ve got to do drywall repairs afterward yourself, or by hiring a drywall contractor. Even so, just lifting the home back into position makes a huge difference, huh?
Stair-Step Brick Cracks Closed Up By Foundation Repairs
Brick homes have some unique ways of showing signs of foundation problems. The most noticeable sign of foundation settlement in a brick home is stair-stepped brick cracks. The before photo clearly shows the crack pattern and in the after photo, you can’t even tell there was ever an issue.
Homeowners often worry a lot about these cracks like their house is going to fall over or something. But remember that brick is a veneer – a pretty outer covering. It’s not structural, meaning it’s not carrying any weight or supporting anything. These kinds of cracks are superficial, and cosmetic in nature.
Gaps Around Windows Corrected By Foundation Repairs
In this home, a gap was forming on the top left side of the window, as well as a stair-step brick crack developing on the opposite lower side. This tells me that the side of the home that is out of the picture to the left was sinking. Once that area was raised back up, the gap was closed and the stair-step crack became nearly invisible.
Check out this article with more details on gaps around windows: Why Do I Have a Gap Between My Window Frame and Brick Exterior?
Crack Coming Off a Door Frame Closed Up
Cracks in brick (as well as cracks in drywall) often come off of the corners of window or door frames. This is because the opening created for the window or door creates a weak point in the veneer that is more easily broken when foundation settlement occurs. In this case, the settlement occurred to the left of the door from where the photo was taken. Once the area of the home was raised, the brick crack closed up.
You can *tuck point* these closed-up brick cracks to conceal the remaining hairline crack in the brick mortar with a little bit of new brick mortar. Some contractors might use a sealant of some kind. But in a lot of cases, you don’t need to do anything else as sealants and even extra mortar can often call more attention to the area in our opinion.
Exterior Trim and Brick Frieze Separations Fixed With Foundation Repair
This sign of foundation settlement has two parts to it, the gapping wood trim (called brick frieze) at the corner of the home as well as the opening gap between the brick and the frame around the garage door casing. In this home, the left side of the structure has settled. But once it’s raised back up with foundation repairs, everything comes back together nicely.
You might rejoin the brick frieze at the corner a little more or apply some caulk where the wood and brick meet up. But now your brick wall doesn’t look like it’s about to fall off the house because the foundation is supporting it properly.
Interior Fixtures Separating From Wall Corrected By Foundation Repair
Finally, we’re inside a house now. This picture shows an interior trim separation where the bookshelf column thingy is coming away from the wall. Once the foundation was raised up from below with foundation repairs, the gaps between the wall and the built-in closed back up.
I don’t even think this needs any painting or caulking. It just looks like it’s supposed to now.
Other interior fixtures that can separate from walls like this are any type of upper or lower cabinetry affixed to a wall, built-in bookshelves, and . . . .
Sign of Interior Settlement Corrected By Foundation Repairs
This one is a little unusual because it appears on the ceiling. This is not a sign of your typical foundation settlement that occurs around the perimeter of a home. This sign is more indicative of interior settlement where the middle of the home is sinking rather than the edges.
Once the interior of the home is lifted, everything falls back into place. The gaping drywall seam closed back up very well. Looks like some drywall screws might need to be dealt with, but overall this is a big improvement in what looked like a drastic problem.
Door Fit Issues Corrected By Foundation Repairs
Doors that don’t close right or get caught up at the corners and doors that don’t close, lock, or catch at the latch are often foundation-related issues. This issue can also be caused by door hardware problems, so sometimes it’s hard to tell. Raising a sunken foundation will square up the affected door frames that are out of whack causing these kinds of door problems.
Here’s a good illustration of a before and after for this very common sign of foundation settlement. Before the door doesn’t fit in the frame right and you can’t close it because it’s binding at the top corner in this case. After foundation repairs, the door goes back to fitting right in the frame squarely and also is locking and latching as it should.
We’ve got a whole article talking about door issues and how to know if they are foundation-related. Check out: How To Know If Your Door Issue Is Related to Foundation Problems.
What Can Foundation Repair Do For My Home?
Now that you have seen how foundation repair can correct the visual signs of foundation issues, maybe you’re wondering what else foundation repair does for you. Well, we like to think of this in F-words: Functionality and Feelings (what did you think I was going to say?).
Foundation repair will not only correct the visual signs of foundation issues but will improve the functionality of your home as well as make you feel a whole lot better.
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we’ve been correcting foundation issues for Brazos Valley homeowners since 1985. Once your home has settled, your cracks and foundation problems won’t go away on their own and could get worse. So if you’ve got signs like the ones pictured above, it’s likely time to get started.
Want to know more about the main goals we seek to achieve with foundation repair? It’s helpful for homeowners to understand what we are really trying to accomplish with your home. Check this out next: What Will (and Won’t) Foundation Repair Do For My Home?