Repairing cracks in foundation walls
If you have a crack in your foundation walls, nothing better than fixing it right now. Over time, structural damage will continue to worsen and become increasingly costly and complicated. By solving the problem from the start, you will save considerable money, time and inconvenience afterwards.
Repairing a house with a damaged foundation can be done much faster than many home owners think. Some repairs can be done in one day, while others can take longer.
Why are there cracks?
Foundation walls can crack for a variety of reasons, including compaction, expansive soils, and natural hardening of concrete. Many cracks in the basement walls are harmless and do not pose a danger to your foundation. However, if you have a foundation problem, you will want to be notified of it and rectify it immediately.
If the sides of your cracks are uneven or thicker than a dime, you could have a much more serious problem on your hands than a leaking crack. Identifying the cause of cracks in your foundation walls is the first step to solving the problem permanently.
Three common causes of foundation cracks
Although there are many possible causes of cracks in the foundations (foundation lifting, uneven streets, damage caused by tree roots, etc.), a few common problems are largely responsible for the problems experienced by homeowners .
Foundation settlement
The floor under your house is under a lot of pressure! With the weight of your house pressing on these soils, they can compact, causing your foundation to sag.
Other stresses, such as drought or poorly compacted backfill soil, can also cause significant damage to your foundation.
How to cure it
Installing foundation pillars along the perimeter of the foundation can help shift the weight of the house onto well-balanced load-bearing soil.
Expansive foundation soils
Clay soils expand and shrink considerably with moisture. As these soils expand in rain or wet conditions, they press against your foundation walls, sometimes causing them to flex or slide inward. This leads to cracks along the walls, as well as a risk of total rupture of the foundations.
How to cure it
By installing anchors for foundation walls, you can protect your foundation walls from further damage or movement. By installing an adjustable design system, you can also gradually tighten the anchors to bring your walls back to their original position.
Concrete hardening cracks
Concrete can often have small cracks when it undergoes its normal hardening and shrinking process, a process that can take years!
Often these cracks are only aesthetic and usually do not need to be repaired unless they leak groundwater.
How to cure it
The crack should be injected with a material that can flex with the wall as it expands and contracts with humidity and temperature conditions.
Do I need a new foundation?
Replacing the foundations is a colossal job! This involves digging the earth around your house to expose the old foundation, placing your house on temporary supports, removing the old foundation and replacing it with a new one.
The process of removing and replacing a foundation is expensive, damaging the landscaping and will take a long time! And if you don’t tackle the root cause of damage, your new foundation could also be damaged.
Even in extreme cases of foundation damage, it is unlikely that you will need to remove and rebuild your foundation. There are many solutions for foundations, even badly damaged ones, that are reliable and can be counted on for many decades.
Repairing foundations is a job for professionals
Customizing a solution for a damaged foundation is an advanced process that takes into account factors such as soil conditions, damage to your structure, weight of the house, and more.
You wouldn’t want to do this job twice! Consulting a qualified professional is a great way to ensure a reliable and guaranteed solution.
What will happen if you don’t repair your foundation?
If there is a crack in your foundation and you don’t take care of it, your basement walls may start to leak. This can greatly limit the usefulness of your space below ground level. Leaky walls are generally ugly surfaces, stained with water, mold, and white, powdery bloom.
As the walls continue to leak, they also compromise your basement finishing options, adding moisture to the room which could damage drywall, carpeting, wood studs and other organic materials.
This moisture promotes the growth of mold, fungus and rot on your building materials. And where the walls are not covered, moisture is added to the air in the basement, creating a damp and moldy space. So, if you detect cracks on your foundation, do not delay and call in professionals so that they can verify the problem without delay. So you can enjoy a healthy and safe home again!
