Living in a home where the windows or doors are hard to open is common in the Chicagoland area. You might instantly assume that the age of the building is the cause. However, our team at Perma-Seal knows the likely cause is really the foundation. We’ve been helping home and business owners in Chicago since 1979 and have had the opportunity to observe thousands of homes with hard-to-open windows and doors. We’ve found the real reason is often caused by foundation issues.
Paying Attention to The Wrong Issues
When you struggle with a window or door, it’s easy to focus on the visible mechanics: the window sashes, frames, or door hinges. However, exploring beyond the obvious, the source could be misaligned due to foundation issues. If the foundation shifts, even a small amount, it can unsettle the entire structural balance of your home, causing window and door frames to shift.
Accompanying Signs that Indicate Foundation Settlement Is the Cause
Wall Cracks: An insidious sign that often accompanies hard-to-open windows. If you’re witnessing cracks, especially around door frames and windows, this could be due to a shifting foundation.
Sagging Floors: Slow, incremental sagging of floors can signify an unstable foundation and, in turn, impact the squareness of window and door frames.
Visible Gaps: Noticing a space between your windows or doors and their respective frames is a telltale sign that the structural integrity of your home is compromised.
Why is My Foundation Moving?
If you have noticed any of these issues you might be wondering what is causing your foundation to settle. Several factors could be causing foundation settlement. Learn more about each of these causes below:
Soil Expansion: The ground beneath your home expands and contracts with moisture levels, causing subtle yet impactful movement in the foundation.
Water Intrusion: Persistent water seepage can gradually erode or destabilize the soil supporting the foundation.
Structural Aging: While sturdy, foundations are not impervious to the passage of time and can deteriorate, leading to potential shifts.
Perma-Seal Can Help You Find Permanent Solutions
Understanding the relationship between foundation health and functional windows and doors is an important step in crafting a solution for your home that is more than symptom treatment. At Perma-Seal, we use a comprehensive approach to repairing foundations that addresses the root causes of the problem. Learn more about our solutions below:
Foundation Repair: Choosing the correct foundation repair method is crucial to stabilizing your home. We offer sagging floor repair for both basements and crawl spaces, as well as foundation piering to provide a stable footing for your home.
Waterproofing: A dry basement is a safeguard against foundation issues. Our basement waterproofing systems are designed to keep water away from your foundation. These solutions will prevent the water from damaging your foundation or causing soil erosion.
Contact Perma-Seal For Professional Foundation Repair Solutions if You Have Sticky Windows or Doors
If you have sticky windows or doors or have identified other warning signs of foundation issues in your home, Perma-Seal can help! Our professional foundation repair services are designed to address the root causes of foundation issues rather than treating the symptoms. Contact our team today to get a free estimate on foundation repair services by calling 800-421-7325 or click the button below to fill out our online contact form.