8 Signs Of Damage To Your Homes’ Structure That Should Never Be Ignored

1. 8 Signs Of Damage To Your Homes’ Structure That Should Never Be Ignored

2. If you’re in the process of buying a property and are concerned that something doesn’t look right with the structure, or have noticed some signs of structural damage to your existing home, it’s important not to ignore them, and instead seek professional help to get them fixed. To help you identify structural damage in a building so that you can address the problem appropriately, here are 8 commonly seen signs of structural damage:

3. 1. Walls and ceiling that are cracked or bulging While not all cracks found in walls or ceilings mean that the structure of your home has been compromised, it pays to monitor smaller cracks in the event that they become bigger and present more of a problem in the future. Large cracks or bulges – particularly when combined with a ceiling that has begun to sag or doorways that are cracked above them – should be addressed immediately by a professional to prevent them from turning into a big problem for your home that puts its very structure at risk.

4. 2. Soil that pulls away from the walls of your home While soil naturally expands and shrinks as the seasons of the year change, should you spot soil that has begun to pull significantly away from your home, it can indicate that the foundations of the property were not laid properly. 3. Chimneys that are cracked If you observe any external cracks on your chimney, this is a clear sign that the building itself has begun to shift and place too much strain on the bricks, just as cracks in any other exterior walls can indicate.

5. 4. Gaps around doors and windows As a result of the holes that have been cut into walls to accommodate doors and windows, they are made much more vulnerable to pressure, and you will often observe signs of damage around doors and windows before you see it in the walls of your home, such as: Gaps that are uneven around doors Windows and doors that won’t open or close properly and smoothly Windows and doors that can’t be locked properly Windows and doors that have begun to separate from the wall Doors that are unable to be fully closed ● ● ● ● ●

6. 5. Floors that are sloped, sagging or cracked The more movement there is in the foundations of your home, the more likely you are to see signs of sloping, sagging or cracking in your floors. 6. A roof that is sagging or leaking A roof that isn’t approaching the end of its lifespan shouldn’t show any sigs of sagging or leaking, and the line of the roof shouldn’t be uneven. If you do see these problems, however, the structure of the roof may have been compromised, and below are some of the things that can cause this:

7. Movement to the timber frame Damage caused by weather Insufficient maintenance Load-bearing walls have been removed Termites have caused damage ● ● ● ● ● 7. A subfloor that’s damp If the floors of your home aren’t adequately ventilated, the subfloor may become damp, which can lead to the timbers rotting over time. This can usually be identified by stains and deterioration on the surface of the floor.

8. 8. Concrete or brickwork that has begun to crumble While this may not be a particularly common problem, if the concrete or brickwork of your home has come into contact with high levels of moisture or chemicals, then you may observe it eroding. This is caused by a chemical reaction that destroys the material’s bond, and you may see such erosion taking place in the lower areas of brickwork beneath your home’s waterproofing membrane.

9. If you spot any of the above signs of structural damage in your home, or are concerned that a smaller problem may become much bigger, you should schedule a visit from a construction professional specializing in structural repairs, at the earliest. Failure to do so could result in more problems for your home in the future, and without a doubt, these problems are much cheaper to fix when caught and treated in their early stages.

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