Foundation Repair can help prevent serious structural damage to your home. It can also improve your property value, making it easier to sell when the time comes.
Cracks and gaps should be treated as red flags because they may indicate a problem with your foundation or its supports. Patches and sealants won’t fix the underlying issue. Click Here to learn more.
Diagonal cracks are one of the most serious type of foundation problems, as they indicate significant settling and structural damage. These cracks run diagonally along the side of your foundation wall and are often wider at one end than the other. Regardless of the cause, these cracks are an indication that you need to hire a professional to repair your foundation.
The most common reason for this type of crack is foundation settlement. This occurs when the soil around your foundation shifts and causes uneven support, resulting in the formation of diagonal cracks. This is a problem that can affect both slab-on-grade and pier and beam/crawl space foundations. Regardless of the cause, it is essential to address these cracks as soon as you notice them.
In some cases, you may not need to call a professional right away if the cracks are only a few inches wide and don’t change in length or shape over time. However, if the cracks are getting bigger and wider as time goes by, you should call a foundation specialist to inspect the situation.
A common sign of serious problems is if the cracks enlarge enough to allow daylight through them. This is an indication that the foundation is sinking, causing the building to lean and potentially posing a safety hazard for the people living in the building.
Other signs of serious foundation issues include stair stepping cracks, which are similar to diagonal cracks, but they appear on the mortar joints of brick or block foundation walls. These are also caused by uneven settlement and can be exacerbated by poor construction, heavy equipment use, soil conditions, excessive moisture, and large tree roots.
Another type of horizontal crack is a shear crack, which appears as a long vertical strip that moves laterally along the foundation wall. These are usually a sign of severe movement and need to be addressed as quickly as possible. Whether or not a shear crack is serious depends on the severity of the movement and the type of foundation. If the crack is in a concrete slab, it can be fixed with a combination of pressure grouting and pouring Sturdflex CemMix Gold to stabilize and strengthen the surface. If the crack is in a concrete block foundation, it requires deeper repairs such as core drilling and pouring a new footing.
Thin Crack Repair
When foundation cracks first appear in your home, it’s important to assess their severity before deciding on a DIY or professional repair approach. Often, what appears as a harmless surface flaw may be a harbinger of deeper structural problems that could threaten the stability and safety of your home.
Thin cracks are slender, superficial fissures that occasionally appear in newly poured concrete. Usually, they’re a result of the concrete’s natural curing process or minor soil settlement. They can also be caused by sudden changes in weather or temperature conditions. While they don’t necessarily signal serious issues, thin cracks must be repaired promptly to avert moisture-related complications such as mold growth.
Widening cracks that stretch across the entire width of a wall are a red flag that indicate potential serious shifting of the soil beneath your foundation. It’s essential to consult a specialist as soon as possible to mitigate this type of damage and prevent further structural instability and water intrusion.
While DIY solutions like epoxy crack fillers can be effective for minor cracks, they’re limited to surface repairs and aren’t suitable for more extensive or structural damage. A licensed contractor who specializes in foundation crack repair will have access to more advanced techniques that can be used to address more serious structural issues and provide longer-lasting results.
A common rule of thumb is “if a crack fits your credit card, call an expert.” While this dictum is not intended to be a comprehensive guide for assessing crack severity, it highlights the importance of making an informed decision before choosing between a DIY or professional repair solution. The type of crack you have, its severity, and the underlying causes can all impact your repair options. If you decide to pursue a DIY approach, we recommend cleaning the crack by wire brushing or vacuuming to remove any debris. Then, you can use a caulk gun or syringe to inject epoxy or polyurethane foam into the crack until it’s fully filled. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the best results and monitor the repaired area for signs of movement or water leakage.
Vertical Crack Repair
No one wants to see cracks in their foundation walls, but knowing the difference between structural and non-structural cracks is an important part of protecting your home. Taking quick action against any kind of foundation crack is vital, but it’s also critical to distinguish between horizontal and vertical cracks in order to determine the best course of action.
Horizontal foundation cracks are the least serious type and typically indicate that there is extra pressure on the sides of your house’s walls due to soil movement and water. They can be caused by a lack of proper drainage around the foundation or heavy rains that cause hydrostatic pressure to build up inside your foundation walls. If you notice this kind of damage, call us right away for an inspection and repair services.
Vertical cracks are more concerning and typically show signs of a major issue such as foundation settlement. They may not be as dramatic as a sinking foundation, but they can still lead to a wet basement or crawl space and require professional repairs as soon as possible.
These kinds of cracks appear in stair step fashion, with a gap on the outside and a small void inside. Depending on the cause, these cracks can be fixed by adding concrete piers to support your foundation.
Other construction issues that can result in severe cracking include undersized foundation footings, poorly mixed concrete, and ground shifting after a foundation is placed. This can occur during the curing process, as well as naturally through changes in temperature and humidity.
Some non-structural cracks are caused by concrete shrinkage. This happens as the concrete settles, shrinks, and then expands again as it dries. This kind of cracking is not a serious issue and can often be repaired with a caulking gun using hydraulic cement or an epoxy injection system. These are quick fixes, but it’s recommended to contact a foundation expert for more permanent solutions. This way, the proper solution can be installed before it becomes more severe. It’s also a good idea to monitor the cracks to ensure they don’t get worse.
Concrete Piers
Concrete piers are ideal for re-leveling and repairing a pier and beam foundation. They’re able to redistribute the home’s weight evenly across the entire structure, reducing the amount of stress on any individual pier and minimizing the likelihood of future problems. They can also be adjusted slightly by adding or removing shims, depending on your foundation’s specific needs.
Whether you have a slab-on-grade foundation that’s experiencing unleveling or a pier and beam foundation that’s been damaged by shifting soils, concrete piers are an effective solution to stabilize the structure and restore its integrity. Unlike many other foundation repair methods, which can require significant disruption to your home, a concrete pier system requires only minimal excavation to install. Concrete piers are custom-designed to match your load requirements and the unique conditions beneath your home, ensuring that they will effectively support the structure long after the repairs have been completed.
To create a concrete pier, crews dig holes that are a few feet deep and then pour in wet concrete to fill the hole. The concrete must cure before the pier can be attached to your home.
There are several types of concrete piers available to homeowners, including helical and push piers. The helix piers look like large screw-shaped pipes that are driven into the ground using high-torque machinery. These piers are appropriate for situations where bedrock cannot be reached, such as in sandy soil. In contrast, push piers are hollow steel pipes that are pushed into the soil underneath your foundation until they reach bedrock.
Regardless of which type of pier you choose, your foundation repair specialist will need to thoroughly test the soil before installing them. In some cases, these tests may include measuring the permeability of your foundation soil to determine how much water it can hold. This will help the company determine how much pressure the piers must exert to lift your foundation back into place. It will also allow the engineer to evaluate the strength of your foundation to ensure that it is capable of supporting your home in the long-term.