After 22 years of repairs across the Tennessee Valley, the same five problems show up over and over. Knowing them helps you spot trouble early.
1. Perimeter settlement on brick ranch homes
Classic 1960s–1980s Huntsville and Decatur ranches built on shallow footings often settle on one corner. Telltale sign: stair-step cracks above a window or door on the settled side.
2. Crawl space moisture in vented foundations
Almost universal in Madison, Hampton Cove, and rural homes. Vented crawl spaces pull humid summer air in, where it condenses and rots wood.
3. Bowing basement walls
Older block basements in Huntsville's historic districts under hydrostatic pressure. Horizontal cracks at the mid-height of the wall are the signature.
4. Sunken concrete around the home
Driveways, patios, and AC pads pulling away from the home — usually from poor compaction or downspout washout. Polyurethane lifting fixes most of these in a single morning.
5. Sticking doors and windows after wet seasons
When the clay swells in spring, frames go out of square. If they don't relax back when the soil dries, you have measurable foundation movement.
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