All structures are dependent on the soil beneath them for support, but soils are not uniform. Some that might appear to be firm and solid can liquefy and become unstable during seismic activity. Also, there are soils that can expand to twice their volume with the influx of water and move structures with relative ease, raising and lowering them and fracturing slabs and other hard surfaces. In fact, expansive soils have accounted for more structural damage than most natural disasters.

Regardless, foundations are not uniform, and conform to the structural standard of the year in which they were built. In accordance with our standards of practice, we identify foundation types and look for any evidence of structural deficiencies. However, cracks or deteriorated surfaces in foundations are quite common. In fact, it would be rare to find a raised foundation wall that was not cracked or deteriorated in some way, or a slab foundation that did not include some cracks concealed beneath the carpeting and padding.

Fortunately, most of these cracks are related to the curing process or to common settling, including some wide ones called cold-joint separations that typically contour the footings, but others can be more structurally significant and reveal the presence of expansive soils that can predicate more or less continual movement.

We will certainly alert you to any suspicious cracks if they are clearly visible. However, we are not specialists, and in the absence of any major defects we may not recommend that you consult with a foundation contractor, a structural engineer, or a geologist, but this should not deter you from seeking the opinion of any such expert.