What is a Structural Foundation Crack?
A structural crack is where the foundation wall feels uneven or the width of the crack is about ¼” or wider. Some structural foundation cracks will require engineer specifications in order to do a basement foundation repair. The obvious thing to look for is major cracks on the foundation wall. A horizontal crack means that there is a problem. Though all cracks on the basement wall are generally bad, but horizontal cracks are serious. Horizontal cracks occur with the soil [mainly clay] constantly expanding and contracting putting the basement wall under a lot of pressure. Some walls especially block foundation walls tend to bow.
Signs of a bad foundation can also include:
- The formation of hairline cracks expanding across the outside of the foundation walls
- The sinking or rising of your soil and concrete around the foundation
- Cracks forming inside the basement walls on concrete, cinder block or finished drywall
- Doorways and windows that are not properly aligned or have gaps
Fixing structural foundation problems can be problematic and costly. The cost of a structural basement foundation repair can range from around $4000 to $5000 if the structural foundation cracks are not attended to early enough. The cost can also increase if the foundation repair requires machinery and engineers to be involved, potentially doubling or tripling the price of the structural crack repair. It is important to catch the signs of a bad foundation early to prevent having to perform a major repair on your foundation.
Not all foundation cracks are serious and it is possible to fix a leaky basement from the inside. Some small hairline cracks can occur on foundation walls due to minor settlement of the home or seasonal expansion and contraction. You can repair these foundation cracks with Epoxy Crack Injections under the right conditions. The epoxy will fill the crack and bond the pieces of concrete back together. This is a great service that RCC Waterproofing offers to fix vertical foundation cracks and is less costly than other waterproofing services.
If basement leaks occur then there is a problem and you should reach out to a waterproofing contractor like RCC Waterproofing for advice. Newly poured concrete tends to crack as concrete shrinks during the curing process. These cracks are usually surface cracks and those basement foundation cracks may not go through the entire width of the wall. Majority of common basement foundation cracks occur around basement windows and doors as it’s a “void” in the foundation wall.
Engineer Report is needed
RCC will follow engineer specifications to repair the structural foundation problem
Once foundation is repaired, waterproofing will take place
If external, once waterproofing materials are applied, soil is to be backfilled and tamped.
