Diagnosing Concrete Cracks in Poured Foundations

Any crack in your foundation is never a good thing. However, not all foundation cracks are equal. Some are structural caused by settlement issues in the soil while others are simply the culprit to your wet basement. The sad truth is: Concrete can't help but crack. It naturally expands and shrinks with the change in the elements. The soil around the wall is going through the same expanding and shrinking process with the weather-shrinking in droughts and expanding in floods. Tree roots, hydrostatic pressure, erosion, and settlement, can all cause cracks in foundation walls. Foundation repair contractors learn to diagnose concrete foundation cracks to determine what is truly causing the cracks and the severity of the problem. Let's start with the basics: Horizontal or vertical? Horizontal Cracks Generally horizontal cracks are structural cracks usually caused from pressure building up on the opposite side of the wall from either an improper backfill or hydrostatic pressure. It could also be from cold climates with extreme freeze and thaw cycles. For these types of structural cracks in poured foundation walls, it is best to use low-pressure crack injection. Epoxy seals the crack and because epoxy doesn't flex like polyurethane, it is the first step to stopping the crack's future movement. It is important to know, epoxy by itself will not prevent further cracking. You will need to add more reinforcement such as carbon fiber staples, or other structural products to reinforce the crack. Simply filling the structural cracks with epoxy will not fix the problem if the wall continues to move. Added reinforcement to the foundation (whether interior or exterior anchors, carbon fiber, or beam systems) will work to stabilize the wall to prevent movement. Such reinforcement in conjunction with crack injection will ensure that the original crack does not reopen while minimizing the potential for further re-cracking in the same area. Vertical Cracks Vertical cracks are generally non-structural cracks. They usually are seen with multiple cracks in one or more area along the basement wall. Vertical foundation cracks are often the least threat to the building. They are usually caused by the natural expansion and contraction of concrete. Through the years' freeze-thaw cycles, the concrete expands and contracts causing the concrete to crack. When these vertical cracks are straight or slightly wandering and generally even in thickness, the risk is fairly low as far as affecting the structural integrity of the house. Nonstructural cracks can bring on another set of problems with water intrusion, soil gases, insects and other pests. Either polyurethane foams or epoxies are effective in sealing such cracks. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5076998Any crack in your foundation is never a good thing. However, not all foundation cracks are equal. Some are structural caused by settlement issues in the soil while others are simply the culprit to your wet basement. The sad truth is: Concrete can't help but crack. It naturally expands and shrinks with the change in the elements. The soil around the wall is going through the same expanding and shrinking process with the weather-shrinking in droughts and expanding in floods. Tree roots, hydrostatic pressure, erosion, and settlement, can all cause cracks in foundation walls. Foundation repair contractors learn to diagnose concrete foundation cracks to determine what is truly causing the cracks and the severity of the problem. Let's start with the basics: Horizontal or vertical? Horizontal Cracks Generally horizontal cracks are structural cracks usually caused from pressure building up on the opposite side of the wall from either an improper backfill or hydrostatic pressure. It could also be from cold climates with extreme freeze and thaw cycles. For these types of structural cracks in poured foundation walls, it is best to use low-pressure crack injection. Epoxy seals the crack and because epoxy doesn't flex like polyurethane, it is the first step to stopping the crack's future movement. It is important to know, epoxy by itself will not prevent further cracking. You will need to add more reinforcement such as carbon fiber staples, or other structural products to reinforce the crack. Simply filling the structural cracks with epoxy will not fix the problem if the wall continues to move. Added reinforcement to the foundation (whether interior or exterior anchors, carbon fiber, or beam systems) will work to stabilize the wall to prevent movement. Such reinforcement in conjunction with crack injection will ensure that the original crack does not reopen while minimizing the potential for further re-cracking in the same area. Vertical Cracks Vertical cracks are generally non-structural cracks. They usually are seen with multiple cracks in one or more area along the basement wall. Vertical foundation cracks are often the least threat to the building. They are usually caused by the natural expansion and contraction of concrete. Through the years' freeze-thaw cycles, the concrete expands and contracts causing the concrete to crack. When these vertical cracks are straight or slightly wandering and generally even in thickness, the risk is fairly low as far as affecting the structural integrity of the house. Nonstructural cracks can bring on another set of problems with water intrusion, soil gases, insects and other pests. Either polyurethane foams or epoxies are effective in sealing such cracks. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5076998Any crack in your foundation is never a good thing. However, not all foundation cracks are equal. Some are structural caused by settlement issues in the soil while others are simply the culprit to your wet basement. The sad truth is: Concrete can't help but crack. It naturally expands and shrinks with the change in the elements. The soil around the wall is going through the same expanding and shrinking process with the weather-shrinking in droughts and expanding in floods. Tree roots, hydrostatic pressure, erosion, and settlement, can all cause cracks in foundation walls. Foundation repair contractors learn to diagnose concrete foundation cracks to determine what is truly causing the cracks and the severity of the problem. Let's start with the basics: Horizontal or vertical? Horizontal Cracks Generally horizontal cracks are structural cracks usually caused from pressure building up on the opposite side of the wall from either an improper backfill or hydrostatic pressure. It could also be from cold climates with extreme freeze and thaw cycles. For these types of structural cracks in poured foundation walls, it is best to use low-pressure crack injection. Epoxy seals the crack and because epoxy doesn't flex like polyurethane, it is the first step to stopping the crack's future movement. It is important to know, epoxy by itself will not prevent further cracking. You will need to add more reinforcement such as carbon fiber staples, or other structural products to reinforce the crack. Simply filling the structural cracks with epoxy will not fix the problem if the wall continues to move. Added reinforcement to the foundation (whether interior or exterior anchors, carbon fiber, or beam systems) will work to stabilize the wall to prevent movement. Such reinforcement in conjunction with crack injection will ensure that the original crack does not reopen while minimizing the potential for further re-cracking in the same area. Vertical Cracks Vertical cracks are generally non-structural cracks. They usually are seen with multiple cracks in one or more area along the basement wall. Vertical foundation cracks are often the least threat to the building. They are usually caused by the natural expansion and contraction of concrete. Through the years' freeze-thaw cycles, the concrete expands and contracts causing the concrete to crack. When these vertical cracks are straight or slightly wandering and generally even in thickness, the risk is fairly low as far as affecting the structural integrity of the house. Nonstructural cracks can bring on another set of problems with water intrusion, soil gases, insects and other pests. Either polyurethane foams or epoxies are effective in sealing such cracks.

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