Check for gas smells and water leaks first, then re-level. Lifting a slab moves the floor under every appliance, and the gas and water connections behind them were set up for the old floor. If you smell gas at any point, leave the house and call 911 and Atmos Energy at 866-322-8667 from outside (Atmos Energy).
Do this first
Right after the crew finishes:
- Walk the house and sniff near the gas range, dryer and water heater. Don't flip switches or use anything that might spark if you smell gas. Go outside first.
- Look behind and under water-connected appliances: the fridge, dishwasher, washer and ice maker. Check for drips at fittings and for wet spots on the floor or the cabinet base.
- Check the washer and dishwasher drains by running a short cycle while you watch.
- Note doors that changed. A fridge door that no longer swings shut, a dishwasher door that won't latch or a washer that suddenly rocks are all signs the floor under it moved.
In the next few hours
- Understand why it happens here. Much of DFW sits on expansive clay. The Texas Water Development Board describes the Blackland Prairie, which extends from north of Dallas south to San Antonio, as having highly expansive clays that shrink and swell markedly with moisture changes (TWDB). The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation calls expansive soils a very common cause of foundation problems (TDLR). When a contractor lifts the slab back, floors that sloped one way may now slope another.
- Re-level the refrigerator. Adjust the front feet or rollers so it sits level side to side with the doors closing on their own. Whirlpool lists an unbalanced refrigerator or ice bin as a cause of ice maker leaks, so leveling matters for more than the doors.
- Re-level the washer and dryer. All four feet should touch the floor firmly, with lock nuts tightened. A washer that isn't level will vibrate and walk on spin.
- Check the dishwasher. If the door won't close squarely, its leveling feet may need adjusting. That usually means removing the kick panel and sometimes loosening the mounting brackets under the counter.
- Have flexible gas connectors checked if the range or dryer moved or the connector is now stretched or kinked.
Before the technician arrives
Note:
- Model and serial numbers. Fridges: inside on a side wall or ceiling. Ranges: on the frame behind the oven door or drawer. Washers and dryers: around the door opening or on the back. Dishwashers: on the door edge.
- What changed after the repair: doors, leaks, noises, vibration or an appliance that won't sit flat.
- The date of the foundation work, and whether the crew moved any appliances.
- Photos of connections behind appliances, especially any stretched hose or connector.
What not to do:
- Don't tighten or bend gas connectors yourself. Gas work goes to a qualified professional.
- Don't force a dishwasher or range back into a cabinet opening that has shifted.
- Don't ignore a small drip at a fitting. Stressed connections can worsen over the following days.
How to keep it from happening again
- Pull appliances out before foundation work when the contractor recommends it, and close water valves.
- Leave slack in water lines and gas connectors when appliances go back.
- Keep soil moisture steady around the foundation as your contractor advises. TDLR guidance stresses that water should drain away from the house on all sides.
- Recheck leveling a few weeks after foundation work, since floors can settle.
- Watch for doors and drawers changing on appliances over time. It's often an early sign of movement.
If an ice maker starts overflowing after the floor changed, see what to do when the ice maker floods the freezer. For appliance checks in older central Dallas homes, see our Dallas Central service area page.
Sources
- Atmos Energy: Homeowner Safety
- Texas Water Development Board: Houston Black, Texas State Soil
- TDLR: Technical Bulletin IHB TB 10-01, Foundations on Expansive Soils
Keep in mind: Foundation work fixes the house, but the gas and water connections behind your appliances may still need adjusting afterward.
ProFix Dallas can re-level and check your appliances after foundation work. Call (469) 886-1122.