I recently found that one of my kitchen tiles popped up with a loud crack, and since then, about eight more tiles have either come loose or sound hollow beneath. Additionally, some flooring in another area has begun to gap. I had a foundation expert take a look, and they suggested that before spending $1000 on a full inspection, I should check for cracks under the tiles and around the windows and doorways. While I didn't find any cracks under the tiles, there are cracks radiating from around a third of the windows in my home. I'm starting to worry—do I have a major issue here? Is it worth the $1k inspection? My house is located in Southern California and was built in 1971. I purchased it in 2022.
4 Answers
I've dealt with something similar in my place. Got a structural engineer for $800, and turns out my house was built pretty poorly, but thankfully, there wasn’t a structural problem. It really eased my mind.
You might want to think about hiring a structural engineer instead of a foundation company for that $1k. They can give you a solid breakdown of what's going on and whether it's really a foundation issue.
You might have expansible soil issues, which can swell and shrink with the weather—definitely something to consider. Your tiles might just be reacting to that.
I totally understand your concern. We had a lot of rain in SoCal a couple of years back, and my home shifted a bit too—doors wouldn’t close right, and I noticed some cracking as well. If you suspect a shift, it could be the soil or the way your house was built. I’m in a similar spot and not planning on an inspection just yet, though. We're ripping up our flooring soon for a better look at the slab, so cross your fingers!