Garland, TX · Guide
Signs of Foundation Problems — and How to Prevent Them
Every house in Garland shows some cracks. The trick is telling normal movement from the kind that's worth an inspection — and knowing the few habits that keep expansive clay from moving your foundation in the first place.
01 — What this covers
The work itself
- Stair-step cracks in brick and mortar
- Diagonal cracks from the corners of doors and windows
- Doors and windows that stick or won't latch
- Floors that slope, bounce or separate from the baseboards
- Cracks in the slab that are wide or offset
- Gaps around exterior doors, windows and trim
- Seasonal maintenance: watering, gutters, grading and trees
02 — Detail
Signs inside the house
Look at the corners of door frames and windows. A crack that runs diagonally up and away from a corner is the classic sign that the frame has been pulled out of square. Doors that rub at the top, won't latch, or swing open or shut on their own point the same way, especially when the problem comes and goes with the seasons.
On the floor, watch for gaps opening between the baseboard and the floor, tile that cracks in a line, or a slope you can see when you set a ball or a marble down. Kitchen cabinets and countertops pulling away from the wall, and gaps at the top of interior walls, are later signs that the movement has been going on for a while.
03 — Detail
Signs outside
Brick veneer shows foundation movement clearly. Stair-step cracks along the mortar lines, especially near corners, and a gap opening between the brick and a window frame are worth noting. So is a frieze board — the trim where the wall meets the eaves — separating from the brick.
Check the slab itself where you can see it, usually at the garage and along the edge of the house. Thin, straight cracks are common; cracks wider than a pencil, or where one side is higher than the other, are not. And notice where the soil has pulled away from the slab in summer, leaving a gap — a sign that the clay is shrinking under the edge.
04 — Detail
What's usually normal
Hairline cracks in drywall tape seams, small cracks in garage floors along the control joints, and a door that sticks briefly during a very wet week are part of living on clay. One small crack on its own, not growing, rarely means trouble. What deserves attention is a pattern: several signs together, cracks that get longer or wider over months, and problems that don't go away when the weather changes.
A simple trick: mark the end of a crack with a pencil and the date. If it's past the mark a few months later, the movement is active.
05 — Detail
Seasonal maintenance that actually helps
Keep the moisture around the foundation as even as possible. In long dry spells, run a soaker hose or drip line about a foot or two from the slab so the clay doesn't shrink away from the edge. In wet seasons, make sure water drains away: clean gutters, extend downspouts several feet from the house, and keep the soil next to the foundation sloping outward.
Watch the trees. Large trees close to the house draw a lot of water from under the slab in summer. Planting new trees well away from the foundation, and considering a root barrier for big existing ones, reduces the problem without losing the shade.
06 — Detail
When to call for an inspection
Call when you see several signs together, when a crack is growing, before buying a house where movement was noted, and after a plumbing leak under the slab. If the house was repaired before, an inspection a year or two later confirms the repair is holding. The inspection with a local repair company is free, and it's just as valuable when the answer is "this is normal."
How we work
Step by step
- 01
Walk the house inside and out and note cracks, doors and slopes.
- 02
Mark and date any crack you're unsure about, and check it again in a few months.
- 03
Fix the easy water problems now: gutters, downspouts and grading.
- 04
Keep the soil moisture even in summer with a soaker hose.
- 05
Request a free inspection if signs cluster or keep growing.
What it costs
Prevention is the cheapest foundation repair there is: gutters, downspout extensions, grading and a soaker hose cost a fraction of a single pier.
Questions
Signs of Foundation Problems & Maintenance — asked and answered
Are cracks in brick always a foundation problem?
No. Brick also cracks with temperature and as mortar ages. Stair-step cracks near corners, or cracks that keep widening, are the ones to have checked.
How far from the house should I water?
A soaker hose about one to two feet from the foundation, during dry spells, keeps the clay from shrinking away from the edge. The aim is even moisture, not a soaked bed.
Can a foundation problem fix itself?
Seasonal movement can partly reverse when the soil moisture returns, which is why some cracks open and close. Ongoing settlement doesn't fix itself, but better drainage can slow it a lot.
Does a sticking door mean I need foundation repair?
Not on its own. Humidity can make doors stick. Several sticking doors, especially with cracks above them, are more telling.
Next step
Foundation services
Slab Foundation Repair
Most Garland homes sit on a concrete slab poured straight onto expansive clay. When part of that slab drops…
Pier & Beam Foundation Repair
Older Garland homes on pier and beam have a crawl space and a wood floor system resting on piers. When floors…
Structural Foundation Repair
When movement goes beyond cosmetic cracks — a wall bowing out, a beam cracked through, a slab that keeps…
Foundation Inspection
A foundation inspection turns "I think the house is moving" into numbers: elevation readings across the…
Drainage & French Drains
Water is the reason most foundations in Garland move. Getting rain away from the house — with gutters…