Foundation cracks can manifest themselves in various sizes and shapes making it critical to diagnose the specific cause of such cracks since this can help you get the correct repair technique.
Surely, it is scary when cracks start forming in your house foundation within one to two years after completing your new building.
These cracks are noticeable around corners of floors or wall, near windows, or along the foundation.
Although most cracks develop due to foundation settling and are of less concern, the issue arises when such cracks begin allowing water to seep through or become so big as to question the building's stability risk in the future.
In such a case, we recommended you call an expert to fix the mess right away before it becomes worse.
Gauging The Severity of A Cracked Foundation
Are foundation cracks dangerous or common?
The magnitude at which your foundation cracks are developing in size and shape can help tell their severity.
For instance, a crack that is lengthening and deepening within days or weeks can indicate a serious issue of concern but a minor crack that doesn't increase in size for years often isn't of immediate concern.
In order to measure the rate at which a foundation crack is forming, all you need is to use a pencil and mark off the end of each crack and then record this date and time.
Keep an eye, and within days or week, you will get to know whether such cracks are natural or as a result of a serious underlying issue.
Signs Of A Serious Cracked Foundation Concern
Here is an indication of serious signs of cracked foundation problems that must be addressed right away before the entire foundation fails:
- Bulging walls as a result of water pressure.
- Cracks that are increasing in size and changing in direction.
- Weak or sloping floors.
- Vertical foundation cracks being larger and wide at the upper side than at the bottom.
Cracked Foundation Solutions
Although some contractors will try to a fix foundation crack by making an inverted V-groove into a crack and then using hydraulic cement to fill it, this isn't the right way of doing it.
This is because the new cement won't bond with the existing cement, which means the problem is bound to reoccur after several years.
The good news is that experienced concrete experts use advanced techniques to address foundation leaking issues such as the use of epoxy injections in both horizontal and vertical cracks.
Note that epoxy injection helps bring cracked walls together while maintaining the original loading capacity and strength of the concrete.
The technique also helps restore the structural and design quality of the foundation.