Floor and wall gaps can be jarring the first time you notice them. Not only do they look distressing, but they also indicate larger foundation damage. Failure to address these gaps will only lead to other foundation problem signs and may harm your home even more. Thankfully, Mount Valley has the expertise to identify and repair floor and wall gaps, as well as any other foundation issues!
What Causes Floor and Wall Gaps?
Almost all foundation problem signs stem from issues with the surrounding soil on your property. When soil gets damaged or weakened in any way, so does your foundation and problem signs emerge.
Soil Washout
Our local teams in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, and Savannah know just how much rain South Carolina and Georgia receive each year. For that reason, it’s important for homeowners to understand how precipitation can impact the soil in their yard, and by extension, your foundation. Essentially, when too much moisture saturates the soil supporting your foundation, it becomes mushy and weak. This moisture can come from precipitation of any kind including rain, hail, or snow.
However, drainpipes and clogged gutters can also be a source of excess moisture. If water drains too close to your foundation, it can cause all the same problems as normal precipitation. No matter how water gets into your soil, the bottom line is that it can cause issues for your foundation which eventually causes floor and wall gaps to develop.
Damaged Floor Joists
Floor joists are long horizontal wooden beams that support the floor of your home. Usually, they become damaged when moisture leaks into your foundation either through cracks in the foundation walls or through heavy precipitation. When these wooden beams are exposed to moisture, wood rot forms and breaks them down. As the process continues, the floor joists will no longer be able to support the weight of your home and your floors may separate from the walls. Even worse, moisture in your foundation could lead to additional structural problems such as sagging floors or wall cracks.
Bowing Walls
Bowed walls are also a product of larger foundation issues. However, despite being their own problem sign, they also directly contribute to floor and wall gaps. Thankfully, fixing one means you’ll likely be fixing the other since they’re so closely connected.
Bowed walls can also lead to a tilt or lean in some of your walls, a damp or musty odor emitting from your foundation. If you notice any of these signs, call a professional immediately.
FAQs
Simply covering up the hole with caulk or some other material fails to solve the actual issue: foundation damage. See, while it’s easy to assume that the main problem is only between the wall and the floor, you actually need to focus on repairing whatever foundation problem is causing the gap to form between your walls and floors in the first place. This could be due to foundation settlement, faulty construction, floor joist collapse, or any number of other issues. Filling the gap with a DIY option might offer a cosmetic fix, but the gap is going to open up again at some point unless the foundation damage is dealt with.
Yes, floor and wall gaps can lead to other issues which can damage your home further. Foundation damage is an escalating problem. It might start with floor and wall gaps, but other issues will pop up if the foundation is not repaired quickly. This includes sagging floors, stuck doors and windows, cracked concrete, wall cracks, and foundation upheaval. All of these can end up costing you tons of money in the long run. Foundation repair can help you save money and keep your home protected. If you see a floor gap in your home, don’t wait to call a professional – your wallet will thank you.
Yes, besides soil washout, there are two other ways that soil can cause foundation damage. One of them is through drought or dryness. If soil becomes dried out, it will become cracked and brittle. Additionally, it will shrink in volume. These two conditions lead to gravity taking hold and causing your heavy foundation to crush down into the weak, dry soil.
Another way that soil can impact your home is through poor compaction. Most often, this occurs during the construction of a new home when contractors transport soil from a different location and use it to fill the land on which your home will be built. If they don’t press the soil together tightly enough, air pockets will form in the soil and cause it to collapse over time. Once again, your home may sink into the weak soil and cause foundation issues to arise.
Explore Solutions
Floor and wall gaps are no small issue and ignoring them doesn’t solve anything. Mount Valley has plenty of solutions to close floor and wall gaps in your home. Consider our pier systems, wall anchors, and the IntelliBrace™ wall repair system, all of which provide extra strength to your foundation. Any of these options have the capacity to close gaps in your home with ease,
Mount Valley Foundation Services
IntelliJack™ Support System
The IntelliJack™ Crawl Space Floor Support system provides solid support for sagging and undersized beams, restoring stability and straightness to sagging floor joists in a crawl space.
Mount Valley Foundation Services
Pier System
Each of our foundation pier systems are made of the highest-quality materials and custom-designed for installation by our team of highly qualified and experienced installation teams.
Mount Valley Foundation Services
Wall Repair System
The IntelliBrace™ System is a patented foundation wall repair system that’s designed to stabilize failing basement walls and provide the potential to straighten walls over time
Mount Valley Foundation Services
Wall Anchors
Wall anchors actively protect your foundation from weak soil and prevent foundation problem signs from arising. Installing wall anchors helps keep your home at optimal health!
Contact Us for a Free Inspection
Floor gaps might seem like a shocking problem when first encountered, but solutions exist to solve the problem quickly and efficiently. For our foundation experts, no foundation issue is too big, and our team is committed to keeping your home protected from foundation damage so you can be sure your home stays well protected for years to come. We’re proud to serve homeowners in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, and Savannah. Learn more about foundation repair and schedule a free inspection by contacting us today!
