What is a Concrete Crack?

There are 3 guarantees in the concrete business:

  1. Concrete will harden
  2. It will not be stolen once it hardens
  3. It will crack

While there isn’t a problem with the first two guarantees of concrete, the third often can cause issues. The evaluation and repair of concrete cracks is an art and a science. Experience and visual evaluation is the art of crack investigation that guides foundation experts towards a solution to repair. The science of crack evaluation requires proof and documentation to support the art.

Foundation Crack Monitors

Foundation Crack Monitors assess cracks caused by settlement, heaving, or bowing to determine if they are expanding. These devices, equipped with crack gauges, measure crack size against the IBC and IRC criterion of a .064″ gap. If smaller, the crack poses no immediate structural threat. Larger cracks, or those rupturing the foundation, require evaluation and monitoring for potential stability concerns. Crack monitors consist of overlapping acrylic plates with a grid and crosshairs, enabling easy tracking of movement. The provided Crack Progress Chart records any shifts, aiding in substantiating repair methods and providing assurance to homeowners about the stability and dryness of their structures.

Concrete CrackSolutions for Concrete Foundation Cracks

Foundation cracks are not something that goes away or fixes itself. The severity and cause of the cracks need to be addressed by a professional foundation repair contractor or professional engineer. Then the right solution can be applied to your home to stabilize, lift, or straighten your home’s foundation. This is a highly specialized field that requires high-quality products, professional training, and a company that will stand behind what they do for years to come.

This does not mean that the best solution is a written warranty that promises the moon in the large print and penalizes you in the fine print, but a written document provided by the foundation contractor that states he will stand behind his work and uphold his reputation. Don’t fall prey to “lifetime warranties” that require arbitration and other tactics of poor contractors. If you have a future problem, you need to know that the company will be around and willing to fix any unexpected problems willingly.

What to Look For

Horizontal cracks across the foundation are often serious. Horizontal cracks are caused by hydrostatic pressure – basically, too much water behind the foundation. It pushes on the foundation. Here’s a tip: Look down the outside of your house. Does the home appear to be hanging over the foundation, especially in the middle, as if the home is too big for its foundation? That’s a tell-tale sign.” On the other hand, a vertical crack often indicates a more serious problem.

Vertical cracks often are indicators of settlement, like what comes during extreme droughts. Is the crack wider at the top than the bottom? If so, this is a classic sign of settlement. As the foundation tries to settle the concrete foundation starts cracking and starts “tearing” the wall from the top down. First and second-floor windows and doors will start sticking. Windows will become harder to open and close. Drywall cracks will start popping up. These classic signs are indicators that you need to find professional help immediately.