Are 1950s Building Foundations Prone to Settling?

Soils Prone to Settling

• Some types of soil are more prone to settling than others, with clay being the most likely soil type to cause settling issues in a home, according to the National Park Service. The settling issues from clay soil occur due to their reaction to moisture. When the soil gets wet, the clay expands in size, shrinking again as the soil dries. This fluctuation in soil makes the footings of the home less stable than they would be if the ground didn’t expand and contract. So if a 1950s home sits on clay soil, it is more prone to settling.

Signs of Settling

• As the foundation of a 1950s building settles, you may see several symptoms on the interior and exterior of the home. Some of the most visible signs of a building settling are cracks that appear in the walls or the floor. These cracks often begin in the basement walls or in the parts of the exterior foundation that sit above ground. Other signs of settling include doors or windows that become more difficult to open and close over time and gaps between the roof and top of the siding.

Repairing Settling Issues

• If settling issues do occur in a 1950s building, you can address a lot of the ensuing issues by simple means. Cracks in concrete walls, or in drywall, can be filled in with leveling compound, which can then be sanded down to even with the walls or floors and painted to fit back in with the rest of the surface. Gaps between a roof and siding don’t need to be repaired unless highly visible but can be corrected by adding an additional piece of siding to the top of the exterior wall.

Foundation

• There are times when cracks that appear in the walls and floors of a 1950s building should not just be repaired without consulting a professional. If cracks run the length of a wall or along its full height, you should have a structural engineer check the foundation of your home to ensure that it is still secure. If the cracks do not run straight across the wall, but zigzag along the wall, this is also a sign of more serious damage that may need more extensive repairs.