Is this you? You’ve got a funky-shaped home and are now experiencing foundation settlement or problems. Did your home’s shape contribute to these foundation woes??
Or is this you? You’re shopping for a new home and want to do everything possible to prevent foundation problems. Can you buy a house of a certain shape that keeps foundation problems from happening?
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we’ve inspected thousands of Brazos Valley homes in many shapes and sizes since 1985. We understand how home shape can affect a foundation and can tell you what we have observed over the years.
This article will cover how home shape tends to affect foundation settlement or the development of foundation problems specifically for slab-on-grade foundation homes. We will share our observations and insights into whether home shape can predict or prevent foundation issues and why. We will also discuss other i.e. better predictors and preventions.
Can Home Shape Impact Foundation Settlement?
Can the shape of your home affect how your home settles? Your home shape can certainly play a small part in the big picture of how foundation issues happen. However, many factors work together to develop into foundation settlement and eventual problems for a home.
Foundation settlement or problems typically have multiple causes and contributing factors around the home and in the environment in general, such as:
- The presence of expansive clay soil,
- Amount of rainfall or lack thereof,
- Drainage conditions,
- Lot slope or grade,
- Plumbing leaks,
- Proximity to bodies of water and/or trees,
- Pre-construction lot preparation,
- Conditions at the time of slab pour, and
- Home shape.
The above list is organized from more prominent contributing factors to less prominent ones. Notice that the home’s shape is down there at the bottom. What we’re trying to say here is that home shape can sometimes be blamed, but there are a lot of other culprits that likely played much bigger parts in creating a foundation problem for your home. It’s a combination of unfavorable factors that tend to work together and cause a slab to settle. There’s never just one clear villain you can point your finger at.
Will An Irregular Home Shape Lead to Foundation Problems?
Just because a home has an unusual footprint does not automatically mean foundation issues will occur. If you love a home, don’t worry about what shape it makes on the ground, and focus on enjoying it!
Foundation settlement in an irregularly shaped home is more of a thing to keep in mind. Make it a point to look for changes. Awareness of your home’s situation is key. We suggest regular checks of your home at each change of seasons to keep an eye on any developing issues with your lot, home, and foundation.
Check out this article about monitoring your home throughout the year. It has a maintenance checklist and everything to help keep your foundation top of mind.
How or Why Does Home Shape Affect Foundation Issues?
There is one thing about home shape that we have observed over the years. Sometimes a house has a wing or smaller part that juts out from the rest of the footprint that can more easily be affected by settlement. We do notice that these wings or smaller sections of a home (often a bedroom or even an addition) experience settlement sooner or more frequently.
These smaller portions of the home tend to be more prone to settlement simply because they are smaller and not contained within the primary footprint of the home.
Forces of nature typically act upon the weakest link, taking the path of least resistance as they carry out their destructive nature. Anywhere that is more vulnerable, less fortified, or comparatively weaker is the unfortunate target when it comes to natural forces.
We see this in animals where the predator goes after the older, slower prey. We see this with water when it erodes softer rocks before the stronger rocks. We see this even with our bodies when injuries occur more frequently to our extremities compared to our core.
In the case of your foundation, any movement or settlement is going to more easily impact any smaller section of your home. Why . . . because the soil can more easily expand and subsequently contract underneath something smaller and less weighty than something heavier with more mass. But it’s not just about the size and weight, it’s about its separation from the larger whole.
What Factors Can Predict Whether a Home Has Settlement?
We can’t look at a home and tell whether or not it will experience settlement. Foundation repair contractors cannot predict the future. Although that would be a pretty cool superpower, alas, we don’t have it. As we mentioned, there are SO many factors at play that contribute to foundation issues. Many of the factors are uncontrollable as well as unpredictable.
We live in Central Texas, where expansive clay soil abounds and rain is either plentiful or non-existent. The biggest factor that contributes to foundation problems is the dirt we all have our houses built on (plus the weather) and no one is immune. So if you live around these parts, the chances are higher that you might experience foundation settlement at some point.
The best we can do as homeowners is not worry about foundation fortune-telling and instead:
- Take reasonable preventative measures,
- Continually monitor for conditions that could lead to foundation settlement,
- Do seasonal maintenance task and checks, and
- Take quick, corrective action when unfavorable situations arise.
Can Anything Prevent Foundation Settlement from Happening?
Now that you know how home-shape factors into the foundation settlement picture, you may be keenly interested in hearing about these preventative measures we speak of . . . *Spoiler Alert* preventions are not always guaranteed to work, but it doesn’t mean you can’t try a few things!
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we think you should just buy the home you love or love the home you’re in and not worry too much about how its shape has or will contribute to settlement. It’s a small factor and often out of your control unless you’re building the home yourself.
Check out this article on prevention choices to try and help create the best environment possible for your foundation’s health.