Cracks in your foundation can be of various shapes and sizes. Foundation cracks are common within the first year of new construction, especially near windows, corners of walls or floors, or in longer sections of your foundation. The majority are caused by foundation settling and are usually not cause for alarm. If cracks grow larger or allow water to seep through, contact a professional immediately or fill out the form to the right before the damage worsens.
Is this crack in the foundation normal or dangerous?
If you are concerned about foundation cracks, keep an eye on them to see if they are growing in size. Simply mark and date the ends of each crack with a pencil. After some time, you will be able to tell whether the crack is caused by natural settling or if it indicates a more serious problem. Tracking them will also assist foundation repair professionals in determining how they formed and the best way to repair them.
What are the signs of foundation problems?
Do you want to know if you have foundation problems? All foundations settle over time, but issues arise when the settlement is uneven or extreme. The following are some of the most common signs of foundation stress:
Outside Warning Signs
- Rotation of the wall
- Distancing around the garage door, windows, and/or walls
- Bricks with cracks
- The foundation that is broken and/or cracked
- Moldings that have moved
Interior Danger Signs
- Doors and windows that are misaligned
- Sheetrock cracks
- Cracks in the floor
- Floors that are uneven
Foundation problems include bulging floors, cracked walls, and doors that won’t close. Foundation distress affects 60% of all homes built on expansive soils. The issue arises when only a portion of the foundation heaves or settles, resulting in cracks and other damage. Differences in soil moisture are a major cause of this differential movement. The loss or gain of soil moisture can result in significant shrinkage or swelling.
If a house’s frame does not begin to distort until three or more years of satisfactory performance, it is unlikely that the distortion is due to full-depth foundation settlement, which is always evidenced by matching cracks. Cracks appear on each side of a section of the foundation wall that is buckling due to soil bearing failure. Settlement cracks are almost always vertical, and they should not be confused with cracks caused by lateral movement of a wall caused by soil pressure.
What are foundation repair methods?
You must first determine what is causing the distress before deciding on a repair method. Look for clues in moldings and trim boards, mortar joints in brick veneer, and windows in low areas. Take note of the recent weather as well. The weather that is unusually dry or wet can cause movement in the underlying soil.
Slabjacking
Slabjacking is accomplished by pumping cement grout into small, strategically placed holes in the concrete slab. Once in place, the grout hardens into a dense concrete mass that serves as a stable foundation for the concrete slab. If a soil-cement-lime grout is used, the lime content of the slurry will provide lime stabilization benefits to the base or sub-base. This combined treatment restores the slab to the proper grade and stabilizes the subsoil, preventing the problem from recurring.
Hydraulic Piers
Piering entails strategically placing mechanical jacks to raise the settled beam to grade. To avoid further or unnecessary damage, the beam must be carefully raised. After being raised, the beam is held in place by a specially designed spread footing and pier. The footing is set deep enough to be unaffected by variations in soil moisture. It is also intended to distribute the load adequately without adding bulk or mass. The pier is steel-tied to the footing and supports the foundation beam.
Trust only the experts
Your home’s foundation is one of the most important elements of a structure and is often overlooked. Foundation work is definitely not a do-it-yourself project, so it makes good sense to get the help of expert contractors to give you a detailed proposal along with an assessment of your issues. Peoria Concrete Contractors offers a wide range of services catered to all concrete problems.