Be vigilant to maintain a solid home foundation

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY—We’ve all heard the admonishment: Stand up straight. But it’s not always as simple to spot if your home is out of whack.

In the Bay Area, earthquakes and ground movements are common and can wreak havoc over time. As the footings under your home settle, moisture intrusion can set in and wear away at foundation supports. Or an unnoticed poor foundation build may show itself after the tremors have passed.

Try to be aware of changes throughout the home, such as unlevel floors, new cracking at windows and doors, or windows and doors that begin to stick. These could be minor annoyances or early signs of movement or wear and tear on your home’s foundation.

Ease your mind and get it checked out.

In a structural inspection, the inspector surveys the relative elevation throughout the home to identify any high or low points. Just a few inches difference can create undue stress on home supports and cause the foundation to collapse.

If issues are identified, request further exploration in the attic and/or crawl space to identify the source of the sloping, assess the severity and help you create a plan to rectify it.

Scott Denslow is the owner of Safe at Home Inspection Service. He is an InterNACHI and ASHI certified inspector who has 54 five-star ratings on Yelp. Send your home inspection questions or topics you want to see covered to scott@safeathomellc.com. For more information, visit safeathomellc.com.