One common sign of foundation damage is cracked walls in a house.

Cracked walls are a cause of movement in a foundation. Some types of cracks are common and occur during the first few years after construction of a structure.

Cracks that run horizontally generally indicate more serious problems in comparison to cracks that run vertically. This is due to the fact that horizontal cracks can indicate that the perimeter of a house is under pressure. All cracks should be inspected by a professional but cracks over .2 inches thick in particular should be considered as an urgent matter.

The most common cracks that are generally the least dangerous run vertically and are 1/16 of an inch or less. Due to the fact that drywall usually runs in the vertical direction, minor soil settlement can cause the drywall to slightly separate which may be the cause of thin vertical cracks. That being said, some vertical cracks can be much more serious problems than others so they should always be inspected by a professional in order to determine the cause.