A house can experience foundation cracks for several reasons such as unstable soils, improper drainage, and settling. Cracks can suggest severe structural issues or some insignificant ones. In the US, around 60 percent of the houses are constructed on soil with clay, and more than half of them experience damage. It is seen that soil with more clay content can have a foundation seasonal movement of 40 to 60mm. The movement is just one of the reasons for foundation cracks.
When should you consider foundation cracks serious?
The severity of foundation cracks depends on the area, size, and the number of cracks seen, and whether the crack is showing any sign of structural damage or not. A lot of houses have cracks in their foundation, the older a house is, the more are the chances of cracks.
A cracked foundation can cause framing problems, roof troubles, problems with windows and doors, and a leaky basement. Fixing the foundation cracks can be expensive and occasional fixing is a sign that your house is experiencing other structural problems.
Reasons for foundations cracking
Foundation crack can occur because of several reasons. Some of them are given below:
Tree roots: Roots may lead to cracks, however, foundations seldom crack because of roots pushing up, but from sucking the moisture from the soil under the foundation.
Settlement: When a foundation settles, it can lead to cracking, especially when you have a differential settlement.
Expansive soil: If your house is constructed on soil with high clay content, then the pressure of the soils may cause cracks in the foundation.
Drainage problems: Improper drainage near the foundation is a common cause of foundation cracks.
Leaks: Any kind of leaks under the foundation can cause cracking. If the leaks continue for a longer period of time, then the damage will be more. It is important to do wet basement repair as soon as it is detected.
Rotation of foundation: Sometimes foundation moves by leaning slightly inward or outward.
Improper soil compaction: If the soil isn’t compacted well before digging the footing, then the foundation may drop and crack. It happens because the weight of the foundation and house isn’t supported by the soil.
Engineering: if your foundation isn’t properly sized or engineered for the type of soil and load which it has, then it will lead to cracks.
Addition of the second story: If you add a second story to your house for which the footing wasn’t designed, then the added weight can cause cracks.
Reinforcement: No rebar or inadequate rebar can cause cracks.
Frost weight: In the winter, when the foundation is frozen if the freezing gets below the depth of the basement walls, then it can crack.
When you see the crack, you should do the inspection and get a second opinion from a contractor. They have sufficient knowledge to handle the foundation issues. A professional contractor will do proper wet basement repair, foundation crack repair and make your house structurally strong for a long time period. So, speak with a contractor now and get it fixed.
