We’ve got some cracks in our walls, and we suspect it’s because the foundation has settled. Can we stay in our home while the repairs are being done?

“In North Carolina, we have clay soils, and they expand and contract a lot because of fluctuations in moisture and temperatures,” said Tom Oakley, vice president of sales for Ram Jack Foundation Solutions in Durham. Other culprits are sandy soils, which shift and erode, and fill dirt used on construction sites, which doesn’t always compact properly.

When the ground underneath your foundation changes, the shape of the foundation likely will too as it settles on the land. Some signs of settling include misaligned doors and windows, sloping floors, cracks in the interior walls or exterior veneer, and leaks in the basement.

How much work your home will need depends on how much it has settled. “Even so,” said Oakley, “In most cases, you can stay home. It would be a rare case if somebody had to move out of the house while we were working.”

To find out the extent of your needed repairs, call a full-service company like Ram Jack for a free, no-obligation estimate. The company will come in, analyze the situation, and give you a written estimate and detailed floor plan showing the work to be done.

Though you may be intimidated by the thought of having foundation work done, especially while you’re in the home, the process is actually pretty quick and easy. In many cases, the workers don’t even need to come inside your home. You might feel some vibration through the floors during some parts of the job, but generally it’s quiet—it won’t be like you’re trying to live in the middle of a construction zone—and usually can be completed within just a couple of days.