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Sloping floors, sticking doors or settling.

A structural engineer should assess movement and any piers, with a geotechnical engineer on soil questions.

Customers put it like this

  • the floor slopes
  • doors started sticking
  • the house is settling
  • the piers they put in didn't fix it
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Stop first if

  • A wall, crack or post is visibly moving, or you hear cracking.Leave the area and keep people out from under it. Call emergency services and a structural engineer.
  • Doors bind suddenly, or gaps open between visits.Keep people clear of that area. Call a structural engineer now.
  • Someone wants to jack or re-level the house.Hold off until an engineer directs the work.
01

Ask on the call

6

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. When did you first notice this, and is it getting worse?
  2. How old is the house?
  3. Is it on a slab, crawlspace or basement?
  4. Was there a leak, irrigation or drainage change?
  5. Were piers installed, and do you have a record for each pier?
  6. Do doors stick all year, or by season?
02

Bring

5
  • Laser or water level
  • Moisture meter
  • Tape measure
  • Phone for photos
  • Floor plan sketch
03

Check on site

6
  1. Record dated floor elevations around the house.
  2. Repeat the readings in a wet and a dry season.
  3. Map symptoms against girders, stacked floors and headers.
  4. In a younger house, measure framing moisture.
  5. Walk the drainage around the foundation, and note leaks and irrigation.
  6. Collect any pier records and match them to what is visible.
04

Keep on the record

4
  • Dated elevation readings
  • Map of symptoms
  • Framing moisture readings
  • Per-pier records and pier plan

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.