Floor Gaps 

The unsettling appearance of gaps between your floors and walls can be more than just a visual nuisance—it’s often a flashing warning sign of deeper, hidden issues with your home’s foundation. In this article, we’ll dive deep into unraveling the root causes behind these mysterious gaps and underscore the urgency of tackling them without delay. 

What Are Floor Gaps?

Those noticeable crevices that you see between your walls and floorboards—or even tiles—aren’t just an aesthetic concern. These gaps come in all shapes and sizes, from barely-there fissures to more prominent gaps, and they can make an appearance anywhere in your home, be it the living room, kitchen, or basement.  

While you might be tempted to dismiss them as mere cosmetic flaws, beware: these gaps often serve as subtle alarm bells, hinting at more serious underlying issues with your home’s foundation. 
Additional Signs Your Home May Need Foundation Repair: 

• Drywall Cracks: Spotting cracks in your drywall, particularly close to the floor, is like a subtle whisper from your home saying, “We’ve got foundation problems.” As your foundation settles into its own sort of middle-age slump, your walls start to feel the strain, showcasing those unsightly cracks as a result. 
• Stuck Doors and Windows: If you find yourself wrestling with a door that refuses to close smoothly or a window that seems stuck in its frame, don’t blame the humidity just yet. More often than not, these annoying issues are the home’s way of sounding an alarm about foundation shifts, which throw your door and window frames out of alignment. 
• Sloped Floors: If it feels like you’re walking uphill in your own home, those sloping or uneven floors often indicate foundation issues ahead.  As your home’s foundation takes a dip or shifts, your floors follow suit, often creating gaps between floorboards as a side effect. 
• Leaning Chimney: A tilting chimney isn’t just an architectural quirk; it’s a full-blown red flag for serious foundation troubles. When your foundation decides to take an unwelcome shift, it can force your chimney into a perilous lean, often creating gaps that could let the outside elements in.

What Causes Floor and Wall Gaps?

There are several potential causes of floor and wall gaps in your home:

• Foundation Settlement: The soil beneath your home can shift or compress over time, causing the foundation to settle. This settlement can result in gaps between the floorboards or walls.
• Damaged Floor Joists: Floor joists provide support to your floors. If they become damaged or weakened, they can cause the floor to sag or separate, leading to gaps.
• Expansive Soils: Certain types of soil, such as clay, can expand and contract with changes in moisture levels. This can exert pressure on the foundation, causing it to shift and create gaps.

Can You Fix Floor Gaps?

Good news: You can fix floor gaps, and it’s important to do it quickly to stop other problems with your home. Here are some ways to fix those gaps:

• Push Piers: These are often used for homes that are sinking into the ground. Push piers go deep into the ground to stop the sinking and lift the house back up. This can close the gaps. 
• Helical Piers: These are good for lighter homes or soft ground. They screw into the ground and help lift and hold the house in place, fixing the gaps. 
• Slab Piers: If your home is built directly on a concrete slab, these piers can help. They go deep into the ground and lift the concrete to close any gaps. 
• Crawl Space Supports: If your gaps are caused by weak floor supports, crawl space supports can help. They add extra support to level out saggy floors and close the gaps. 

Why Address Floor and Wall Gaps Now?

Addressing floor and wall gaps promptly is crucial for several reasons: 

• Prevent Further Damage: Ignoring floor gaps can lead to more significant foundation issues, such as structural damage or even a complete foundation failure. By addressing the gaps early on, you can prevent these costly problems. 
• Avoid More Expensive Repairs: The longer you wait to fix floor gaps, the more extensive and expensive the repairs can become. Taking action now can save you money in the long run. 
   
• Avoid Other Issues: Floor gaps can allow moisture, pests, and drafts to enter your home, leading to additional problems such as mold growth or increased energy bills. 
• Protect Property Value: A home with visible floor gaps can be challenging to sell. You can protect your property value by addressing the gaps and ensuring a stable foundation. 

Choose Dry Pro Foundation and Crawlspace Specialists for Floor Gap Repair

If you are experiencing floor gaps in your home, hiring a professional foundation repair company like Dry Pro Foundation and Crawl Space Specialists is crucial. With their expertise and experience, our experts can accurately diagnose the cause of the gaps and provide effective solutions to fix them. Contact us to schedule a free inspection today!

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