DONNA – People living in one Donna neighborhood are concerned over cracks starting to appear in their home. They said they’re starting to become more frequent but they have no idea what is causing the damages.

When Jorge Heredia and his family moved into their home more than 20 years ago. he thought the home was in great condition.

Heredia said it’s the recent discoveries he’s made in his home that are becoming concerning.

“I see cracks towards the entrance of my house and inside my living room,” he said.

Heredia said the cracks are starting to pop up by his front door.

According to Heredia’s neighbors, cracks are also spreading in their homes. One neighbor showed the brick shifting in the back of his home.

“I’m concerned about what future damages might happen, it could be costly,” he said.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS spoke to Joe Averill Jr., of Averill Builders Inc. He said it’s normal to see some hairline cracks in your home.

“When you start seeing cracks that form at the corner of windows or the corner of a door unit, and run up through the dry wall and up to the ceiling, those types of cracks can indicate that you might possibly have an issue with the foundation starting to move around,” he said.

Averill said the cracks could be caused by the soil type the home sits on.

“High clay content soils down here tend to have a tendency to move quite a bit. They’re very expansive with moisture,” he said. “And the foundation is not suited for the type of soil it sits on then you can experience a foundation failure or problem with the foundation.”

Averill said high clay soil content is common in land near the Rio Grande. He said a geotechnical report should be performed before a structure is built. The report is an assessment of the land and can help ensure its right for the construction of a home.

Averill said Heredia could get a geotechnical report done but added he may have another option.

“Let someone who has an expertise in foundations and foundation failures first and see if it’s anything to be alarmed about or not,” he said.

Heredia said he’s starting to take action now before the problems get worse.