Discovering a crack in the foundation of your home can be unsettling, as this could represent extensive damage to your home’s foundation, which could mean costly repairs. However, if you have discovered a crack in your foundation you may be wondering if all foundation cracks are the same, or if certain cracks should be more cause for concern than others. The fact is that looking at the crack can tell you a lot about the damage to your foundation including what may have caused it and how severe the problem is. To help you get a better understanding of foundation damage, here is a quick overview of the most common types of foundation cracks.

Foundation cracks have many causes, but the cause of the crack can usually be determined by the type of crack, as can the solution to the crack problem. Vertical crack: A vertical foundation crack is a crack that goes straight up and down or slightly diagonal, within 30 degrees of vertical. When performing a surface-crack detection, whether with liquid penetrant testing or magnetic particle testing, you should always consult the relevant specification involved for levels of acceptability and qualifications for equipment and operators. These methods of inspection are specialized and should be carried out by suitably trained.

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How to Determine if the Cracks in Walls Are Serious. There's no exact method for determining how serious a wall crack is without hiring an expert to examine the wall, but you might be able to. Cracks appear in brittle materials such as concrete, sheetrock, tile, wood, stone, brick, and stucco. Structural distress does cause cracks, but the vast majority of cracks are not structural in nature. Cracks are most commonly caused by expansion and contraction of building materials due to changes in moisture content and temperature. Cocaine and crack certainly differ in appearance. Cocaine is generally found in white powder form, and crack is found in a rock form that is generally white, cream, tan, or light brown. Crack and cocaine also differ in the manner in which they are used. Cocaine is typically snorted, and crack is typically smoked.

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Vertical Cracks

Of the foundation cracks you are likely to encounter, vertical cracks are generally the most common and least severe type of crack you will come across. Vertical cracks are cracks that go straight up and down, or maybe on a slight diagonal of within 30 degrees of vertical, and are a common occurrence in many houses. These types of cracks are usually the result of your foundation settling, and it is thusly not uncommon even for new houses to have this type of foundation damage as a home’s foundation can settle greatly in the first few years. Fortunately, this type of crack is usually the easiest and least expensive to have sealed. Generally, a urethane or epoxy material will be injected into the crack, ensuring that it is sealed and does reopen or grow as your foundation continues to settle.

Diagonal Cracks

Another common type of crack that you may encounter is a diagonal crack that runs along your foundation or basement wall at a 30-75 degree angle. This type of crack may be a thin hairline crack, but will likely be wider at one end than the other. Diagonal foundation cracks are caused by differential settling of a foundation, which is where one side of a home’s foundation settles lower than the rest of the foundation. This type of uneven tension then causes diagonal cracking. Differential settling can be the result of the house being built on a hill, or due to the expansion or contraction of the soil under a portion of the home. This type of crack can be more costly to repair than a vertical crack since it may be necessary to address the cause of the differential settlement after the crack is sealed. However, the solution may be as simple as installing new gutters so that rainwater directs away from a section of your properly that regularly becomes flooded, as this water could be causing the soil under a portion of your foundation to shift.

Horizontal Cracks

Foundation cracks that run sideways (horizontally) are the most serious type of crack to look out for, as they can signal serious damage to your home’s foundation and structural integrity. While these cracks are sometimes seen in homes with poured concrete foundations, they are most common in homes with concrete block or brick foundations. Several things can cause this type of foundation damage including soil pressure outside of your foundation, and hydrostatic pressure that can cause your basement walls to bow. If you discover this type of foundation damage it is important that you have it repaired as soon as possible before the structural integrity of your home becomes compromised. This type of cracking will require the most extensive repairs, which will likely include reinforcing your foundation in order to secure it and prevent further damage.

Knowing what types of cracking you may discover in your home can help you to determine the severity of the damage to your foundation. Ultimately, however, any cracks you discover in your home’s foundation should be taken seriously and professionally inspected and repaired so that you can ensure the structural integrity of your home. Contact us to learn more about what you need to know if you encounter cracks in your home’s foundation.

Are you concerned about cracks in your house or building? Cracks can be unsightly, but are they an indication of serious structural distress or possibly unsafe conditions? Cracks appear in brittle materials such as concrete, sheetrock, tile, wood, stone, brick, and stucco. Structural distress does cause cracks, but the vast majority of cracks are not structural in nature.

Cracks are most commonly caused by expansion and contraction of building materials due to changes in moisture content and temperature. These types of cracks do not represent a structural concern. Concrete, mortar, grout and stucco can shrink and crack for months after construction as they slowly dry and lose moisture. Shrinkage cracks in concrete floor slabs are expected and very common, and do not compromise structural integrity. Wood framing, wood floors, and trim can also shrink as the wood dries and becomes acclimated to lower inside humidity. Temperature changes cause construction materials to expand and contract daily and seasonally. For example, the temperature difference between the exterior and interior sides of a wall can cause as much as 1/2 inch of bowing stress daily. The temperature in an attic can fluctuate daily, by as much as 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Due to this fluctuation, cracking is expected; which is why builders use construction joints in materials such as concrete, brick, stucco, and tile. The joints allow for stress relief in the form of controlled cracking along a pre-determined alignment. Cracks often emanate from doors and windows since these wall openings act as large construction joints to relieve stresses.

It is important to note that all foundations on soil move to some degree. Soils that support the foundation may consolidate and settle due to the weight of the house. They may also shrink and swell due to soil moisture fluctuations, or heave due to frost activity.

In new homes and buildings, it takes time for soils to adjust to the new foundation and landscape irrigation, which is why builders prefer to wait until the end of the typical 1 year workmanship warranty period to make any repairs.

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Most foundations are designed for up to 1 inch of soil movement; however, in highly expansive soil areas, slab foundations can be designed for up to 4 inches of soil movement. When the foundation moves, the entire structure moves with it causing some degree of racking, distortion, and cracking. The foundation should be designed to maintain structural integrity as it moves, but some cracking is inevitable. In new homes and buildings, it takes time for soils to adjust to the new foundation and

landscape irrigation, which is why builders prefer to wait until the end of the typical 1 year workmanship warranty period to make any repairs. Cosmetic repair of common cracks is considered routine, long-term home maintenance. The vast majority of cracks are cosmetic, but how can you
tell if a crack is a true structural concern? As a general engineer’s guideline, cracks that are hairline up to 1/8 inch in width are considered negligible to slight, 3/16 – 9/16 inch are moderate, 9/16 – 1 inch are severe and over 1 inch are very severe (Forensic Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering, R. W. Day, 2011). Cracks alone are not necessarily indicative of a structural concern.

Cracks are more likely to be a structural concern if accompanied by other indications of structural distress, such as inoperable doors and windows, or excessively sloping floors and surfaces. Cracks with significant vertical displacement across the face of the crack may indicate a structural concern. Cracks in basement walls, especially horizontal cracks, accompanied by bowing or leaning of the wall are cause for concern.

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If in doubt about the seriousness of cracks, retain the services of a qualified professional structural engineer, licensed in your state. The engineer will make observations and take photos and measurements. A floor elevation survey may be conducted to evaluate structural deflection (bending) and tilt. The measurements and survey may be used as reference points, if needed, to compare with any future measurements and surveys. The engineer may recommend remedial measures such as drainage improvements, landscape adjustments, rain gutters, foundation watering or foundation repair. The best time to make any cosmetic repairs is when foundation movement has ceased. If the home is covered by a third-party structural warranty, the warranty company has qualified warranty administration personnel available to answer coverage questions over the phone.

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-Walt Keaveny, MS, PE, PG.

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