For most Americans, a house is your single greatest investment. You work hard and save in order to afford the home of your dreams. But for some, this dream can turn into a nightmare when your home is built on a poor foundation.

The foundation is among the first components of a house to be built, and arguably the most important. Foundation problems can have a devastating effect on an entire building. A house, which is otherwise built using sound construction principles, can crumble and fall if it lacks the proper foundation.

At the Bostic Law Group, we are here to assist with defects in your house foundation. Below are 3 key tips to keep in mind as you investigate problems with your house foundation and what to do about them.

1. What to Look For

There are several tell-tale signs of a foundation problem. If your house is exhibiting any of these symptoms, you may have a serious foundation defect:

• • Cracking in the walls, concrete slab, or exterior brick
• • Buckling or bowing of floors
• • Doors and windows that will not shut
• • Separation of moldings from the wall
• • Gaps where the walls meet the floor or ceiling
• • Walls that do not appear to be "plumb" or at a 90 degree angle
• • Doors, windows, and garage doors that pull away from the rest of the structure

2. Causes

A defective foundation can be the result of many factors, including:

• • Failure to properly compact the soil prior to construction
• • Failure to perform adequate soil tests prior to construction
• • Beginning construction before allowing the ground to dry
• • Improper pouring and curing of the concrete slab
• • Improper drainage systems under and around the home
• • Failure to use quality building materials during construction
• • Inadequate design of the foundation and surrounding elements

3. Solutions

As a homeowner experiencing foundation problems, you have several tools at your disposal to resolve a claim of defective construction:

• • Providing a notice of construction defect and right to cure to the responsible contractor(s)
• • Negotiated settlement with either payment of money and/or repairs
• • Filing a lawsuit within 3 years of when you knew or should have known you had a claim
• • Arbitration
• • Mediation
• • Non-jury trial
• • Jury trial

As noted above, there are time limits for when you must file a lawsuit or risk forfeiting your claim forever. If you believe you may have a claim, we are happy to provide a no-cost consultation during which we will evaluate your claim and explore the options that work best for you.