Months of drought conditions have made things pretty busy for Knoxville structural engineer Ronald Corum.
"I'd say anywhere from 300 to 500 calls,” said Corum, describing the influx of calls they’ve gotten regarding home inspections.
Underground clay makes homes in Tennessee more vulnerable to damage caused by our shifting weather conditions. Clay can expand in heat and shrink and crack when it's dry. That's certainly been happening this year. When a home owner suspects damage they call Corum or other structural engineers to come and do an inspection.
Basement walls and corners are where Corum says homeowners can inspect for new cracks or old ones getting bigger as a sign of damage.
Allstate Insurance Company says homeowners should look for drywall peeling or cracking, windows and doors not shutting properly and basement floors that are cracked or uneven.
Having a foundation fixed could cost a few thousand dollars -- or much more.
Corum says taking action now is important before winter causes more damage to your home.
"When you have the drought it puts a lot of cracks in your clay, water's now gone into those areas. So now we may have some heaving situations, where your foundation may be lifted up or down,” explained Corum.
Corum says homeowners need to get professional help as soon as they find an issue with their foundation.
He says some issues can be fixed within a weeks’ time and without having to work inside the home.