Understanding Cracks In Your Home’s Foundation
Foundation repair can be an incredibly stressful process for a homeowner to go through. Your foundation is the basis of your home, and if it’s weak or cracked, your entire home is subject to damage. This alone is reason enough to ensure the foundation to your house is strong, sturdy, and reliable.
When homeowners discover they have cracks in their foundation, it can make them feel helpless. Even after caring as best as you could for your home, it turns out it’s still damaged. Cracks in the foundation lead to notoriously worse issues, like water damage and the overall stability of the home. Additionally, water flowing into these cracks create a perfect place for mold, mildew, and insects to breed, and soil gases like radon can also enter your home.
First things first: it’s time to call in a professional. They’ll be able to figure out the extent of the damage and the best way to solve your problems. No two foundation problems are ever the same, so you’ll want a contractor who will take a look at your foundation and give you an honest and professional assessment. While no crack should be ignored, a professional will be able to determine if the crack is structural or non-structural.
Non-Structural Cracks
These types of cracks can appear anywhere in the foundation wall where there are openings. They happen from changes in the moisture content and in temperature, and are generally there because of natural shifts in the soil. Non-structural cracks will sometimes:
- Be about 1-2 millimeters wide
- Appear at the corners
- Are generally vertical or diagonal
Structural Cracks
These are cracks that come from poor construction, swollen soil, bad soil bearing, or overloading. Structural cracks often come with other signs of foundation problems, like sticking doors or windows, slanted doors, slanted floors, or cracked porches. These will sometimes:
- Look like horizontal cracks on the wall
- Be vertical cracks that are wider at either the top or bottom
- Look like stair steps
- Be wider than ⅛”
As we mentioned, non-structural cracks sometimes occur naturally with the shifting of the soil. They can, however, lead to bigger problems and more cracks (including structural ones) when they’re untreated. It’s vital to the well-being of your home and family to call in a professional like AA Action Waterproofing to see the damage and figure out the best solution. Whether you’re dealing with non-structural cracks or structural ones, it’s possible to prevent further damage by calling us today at 888-922-5517.