New homes all go through a phase where they settle, or sink into the ground due to the soil beneath compacting.
Settlement is a natural, gravity-fueled process and is rarely something to be concerned about; but in certain situations, a home can settle too much, which can result in serious cosmetic and structural issues such as cracking, leaking, and shifting. If the dangerous settlement isn’t fixed immediately, it can leave your home with lasting damage.
To help you understand what causes house foundations to settle over time and when you should and shouldn’t worry about settling, we go over the basics of settlement here.
What Is House Settlement?
House settlement is when a house gradually sinks into the ground. All homes naturally settle over time, and a small amount of settlement is normal and poses no risk to your home. Typically, it takes 1-3 years after a home is built for a foundation to finish settling, though this can vary. Sandy soils settle more quickly than clay or organic soils, and weather and climate can also impact how fast a foundation settles.
Why Does It Happen?
But what causes house foundations to settle over time? The main reason why settlement occurs is that all soils compress to a certain degree. If your home is built on anything but bedrock, it will settle. Foundations settle when voids, which are pockets of air and water in the soil that help support your home, reduce in size due to the weight of the home and foundation pressing down on them.
The amount and rate at which your home settles vary greatly depending on various factors. These factors include the composition of the soil your home is built on, the quality of the foundation construction, weather conditions in your area, and the surrounding vegetation.
Generally, homes located in overly wet or overly dry areas are most at risk of severe settling. Too much moisture saturates the soil beneath your foundation, which softens or weakens soils like clay and silts. This weakened soil has a reduced ability to hold up your home, and as a result, settlement occurs. While severe weather is a common cause of overstated soil, poor drainage, leaks in water lines in plumbing, and a raised groundwater table can also cause it.
On the other hand, dry soil can also cause settling, especially with homes built on clay-heavy ground. As clay soil dries, it shrinks or contracts, reducing overall soil volume. Dry soil is usually caused by droughts, nearby trees and vegetation soaking up moisture, and leaking sub-floor heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.
Clay soil is especially vulnerable to changes in moisture due to its small particle size. It can expand and contract rapidly, which can cause homes to settle faster and less evenly than usual.
Another common cause of settlement is failure to compact and consolidate soil prior to constructing the foundation. This greatly reduces long-term stability and increases the risk of dangerous settlement occurring.
The Types of Settlement
There are three types of home settlement: uniform and tipping, which are usually non-severe, and differential, which can be severe. Here’s what you need to know about each one.
Uniform Settlement
Uniform settling is when all four corners of the home settle evenly with no tipping.
Tipping Settlement
Tipping settling is when one end of the foundation sinks, but remains intact, and the other doesn’t move at all, which causes the home to tilt to one side.
Differential Settlement
Widely regarded as the worst form of settlement, differential settling is when one end of the foundation sinks at a much faster rate than the other. This can result in cracking, shifting, out-of-level floors, out-of-plumb walls, and doors and windows that stick.
Signs of Settlement
Minor settlement is usually unnoticeable, though a handful of thin, shallow cracks may appear in your foundation. More severe settling, however, is very noticeable. Common signs your home is settling include:
- Cracks wider than 1/8 inch
- 45-degree angle cracks
- Sticking doors and windows
- Crooked floors
- Bulging walls
- Wet basement
- Tilting chimneys
- Sinking exterior stairs
When Is Settlement Normal? When Is It Not?
In most cases, settling is natural. But there are times when it isn’t. How do you tell if your home’s settlement is normal or something to worry about?
If the only sign of settlement you’re noticing is a few small cracks in the foundation, it’s likely nothing to fret over. So long as your foundation settles evenly and only by a few inches, your foundation and home aren’t in any danger.
But if you’re seeing cracks wider than 1/8 inch, cracks that run at a 45-degree angle, sticking doors and windows, uneven floors, water in the basement, and other forms of noticeable damage to the home, you should reach out to a foundation expert immediately. These are all signs of differential settlement, which can ruin your home if it isn’t addressed in a timely manner.
If your home is settling excessively, reach out to a foundation repair company like Foundation Technology right away. To avoid further damage to your home, the source of the excessive settling needs to be located and eliminated, and your foundation needs to be lifted and made level again.
The sooner you fix this issue, the less it will cost and the less damage your home will sustain in the long run. Don’t put it off due to cost or uncertainty. At Foundation Tech, we offer no-cost inspections to evaluate the severity of the settling and will work with you to find a repair solution that works for you and your home. Contact us today to learn more about our foundation repair services or get any questions you may have answered. We look forward to hearing from you!
