Differential Settlement

Related terms

• 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…