Underpinning refers to a process that gives added strength to a building's foundation; in some cases, it may involve attaching actual pins to the foundation to make it stronger, or it may involve adding a layer of concrete around the foundation so that it doesn't crack and settle as easily. There are some obvious signs that your home's foundation needs repair, such as huge cracks across the surface of the foundation, but sometimes that damage isn't always so obvious. Note a few other signs that your home's foundation may need underpinning or some type of repair work.

The chimney is leaning or cracking

A chimney can crack or crumble because it's very old and the brick and mortar have absorbed moisture over the years, causing it to soften. However, if the home's foundation needs underpinning or some type of added bracing, this can cause the home to lean slightly. The chimney may then have added pressure put on the area where it becomes separate from the home, and it often crumbles or cracks in this area. You may also notice that the chimney doesn't appear to be straight up and down when you look at your home from across the street or another vantage point. In these cases, check if the foundation is cracking in the area under the home's chimney.

Windows are sticking

As with the problems with chimneys, windows can stick because they're very old. The wood of frames can expand and then contract so that they're not level and even. However, if your home begins to lean in one area because of a weakened foundation, this can allow the window frames to become uneven so that the window pane doesn't fit properly. In turn, it may stick or be difficult to open and close. If you notice this on one side of the home, this is especially a sign of a foundation that needs underpinning or other repairs.

There are gaps along floorboards and baseboards

The baseboards along your home's walls should fit very snugly against the floor itself, without gaps. If you've recently had new carpeting or flooring installed and are just now noticing these gaps, it could be that your contractor did not replace those baseboards or floorboards properly. In other cases, as a home settles and shifts, this pulls those boards out of place and can cause gaps to form. As with other signs of needed foundation repair, you might notice this more readily along one side of the home, where the foundations is sinking and settling and needs repair work done.

For more information, contact local professionals like Jeffrey Hills and Associates.