Your home is full of stories. It can be a place for happy moments or quiet moments. But it can start telling stories of trouble. Have you seen cracks creeping up your wall or a stubborn door? These could be signs that your foundation needs to be strengthened, recommended reading?

Start with the obvious–cracks. Not every crack is a disaster, but if they are widening or have jagged edges, you need to be on your guard. Some people compare it to earth reversing engineer your house. This doesn’t seem safe. Are your walls supposed to look abstract?

The floor. Oh, how I miss the floor that was once perfectly flat and straight! There are humps, dips or bumps that you can feel when walking across the floor. Although some people may think that uneven floors are just a part of the house, let’s be honest–nobody wants to make a trip from their kitchen on a seesaw. It could be that your home is crying out for solid foundations because of a bowing floor.

Are your doors difficult to open or close? It’s understandable that you might think it’s Mother Nature. However, when Mother Nature’s moods become the norm at your house, it should raise a flag. Your doors should be smooth and not fight you every time.

Windows can be prone to the same problems. When your sash isn’t sitting right, or the frames start to separate from the wall it’s time to worry. My friend’s window used to make a little symphony. Turns out the ground was shifting. The underpinning helped.

You may not have given your chimney much thought. It’s an unsung hero – until it starts bending over like it’s had too much to eat. A tilting fireplace is more than just a nuisance; it can also be dangerous. Guess what else? There’s a second sign that your foundation is on strike.