If you've started noticing strange little things happening around your home such as unexplained cracks, you may have a problem with your foundation. Even seasoned homeowners may not realize that foundations need to be checked and problems repaired as soon as possible to avoid serious damage to your home. If problems are ignored or simply patched, you could face issues such as a collapsed basement wall. As a new homeowner, how do you know when your foundation needs to be repaired? Here's what to look for.

Cracks

One of the first signs that something is not right with your foundation is a crack where one shouldn't be. These tend to show up in spots you may not always look. Cracks may appear inside your home, or on the outside. Look for cracks running horizontally around the corners or windows or doors inside, and diagonally outside. If you notice cracks in your fireplace bricks, it's a sure sign that something is wrong with your home's foundation. You could also see cracks in the exposed concrete at your home's base.

Standing Water

Have you noticed water standing around your home after a storm? While water that refuses to drain off properly could be a sign of a simple drainage problem, it can also be caused by a foundation problem. For example, if you notice that the water drains from your roof and gutters into your yard properly, but still pools around your home as if filling a ditch, you could have a sinking foundation that is causing your home to sit lower than it should.

Problems with Nails

When you hang your family photos, you expect them to stay right where you put them. If you begin to notice that your pictures are hanging strangely or simply falling off the wall, check to make sure that the nails are still where they need to be. Sometimes, a foundation problem can make nails that were previously secure start pushing out of the wall. When this happens, the boards of your home are compromised in some way, such as if the house is leaning or sinking.

Problems Closing Doors and Windows

If you notice that one door or window in your home is not closing fully, you may have a foundation issue. Check all of the doors and windows. Doors that are hard to close because they are uneven in their frames or windows that gap when closed are signs you need to have your foundation repaired.

Call a professional like Abalon Construction when you suspect that you have a foundation problem. They will be able to tell you if you need a repair job or a new floor in the basement, or if the problem is something else before you end up needing very expensive repairs.