Structural

Differential Settlement

Structural · definition

Uneven sinking of parts of a foundation, the cause of most serious structural cracking, sticking doors, and sloping floors.

Source: FHWA — Soils and Foundations Reference Manual (NHI-06-088)

Where this comes up

  • Foundation

    The structure (slab, crawl space, or basement) that transfers the building's load to the ground. Foundation condition underlies the feasi…

  • Efflorescence

    White mineral deposits left on masonry or concrete as water migrates through and evaporates. A sign of moisture movement to investigate,…

  • Deflection

    How much a beam or joist bends under load. Code limits it (e.g., L/360) so floors don't feel bouncy or crack finishes even when not at ri…

  • Egress Window Well

    An excavated, retained, and drained well allowing a code-compliant egress window below grade — required to make a basement bedroom legal.

  • Dead Load

    The permanent weight of the structure itself — framing, finishes, roofing. The baseline load every member is sized for.

  • Expansion Joint

    A deliberate separation that lets adjacent concrete or structure move with temperature and load without cracking or buckling.

  • Damp Proofing

    An asphaltic coating that resists soil moisture (not liquid water pressure). The minimum builder treatment — less protective than true wa…

  • Expansive Soil

    Clay-rich soil that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, cyclically stressing foundations. A leading cause of foundation cracking and mo…

Where this term fits in a remodel

The pillar guides set terms like this one in context — what the work involves, what drives its cost, and where it sits in the sequence of a project. Pricing a specific house takes a defined scope and an on-site assessment.

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