Does your home have unsightly foundation cracks? These cracks are more than just cosmetic nuisances. They can cause expensive, long-term, and even permanent damage to your home.
The average cost for minor foundation repair work is only a few hundred dollars. Large cracks, however, can be anywhere between $10,000-$25,000 or more on average. It’s critical to take care of any foundational issues ASAP.
You can help your home’s structural integrity stay strong and healthy by recognizing the common causes of a foundation crack. Here are 8 major issues to watch out for.
1. Moisture and Expansive Soils
Excess moisture can cause certain soil types to expand around your foundation, referred to as expansive soils. This issue directly affects at least 25% of all U.S. homes.
The soil volume increase puts additional stress on your foundation, causing cracks to appear. Additional issues arise when the soil dries out and contracts, creating a cycle of ever-increasing damage.
Expansive soil damage is sneaky and typically mistaken for other issues like foundation settlement. Without professional foundation repair, you may not even realize it’s an issue.
It’s generally not covered by homeowners’ insurance, either. If you don’t fix the issue immediately, you’ll potentially pay thousands in long-term structural damages out of pocket.
2. Leaks
Even small leaks can be a significant ordeal for homeowners. They cause extensive damage, mold growth, and high energy bills.
Finding the leak source is often difficult. Common leak sources include:
- Faulty pipes
- Faulty appliances
- Pipe and drainage clogs
- Gutter clogs
- Damaged sealants
- High water pressure
- Warped or damaged windows
- Roofing issues
Leaks let water build up in the lowest parts of your home, creating foundation cracks. Along with foundation repair, you can also look into waterproofing systems that help keep your sublevel areas safe when leaks inevitably occur.
3. Improper Drainage
Water build-up will also occur if you don’t have adequate drainage around your house. Drainage is a regular problem for homeowners, and one of the worst problems to neglect.
Improper drainage can damage your home’s structural integrity to weaken. In worst-case scenarios, your house becomes irreparably headed for collapse.
Drainage issues can arise from many factors:
- Inadequate gutter systems
- Insufficient drainage distance
- Grading and sloping issues
- Low spots and ground sinks
- Improperly maintained crawlspaces
- Compact soil and hard ground
- Plant bed “water traps”
These pooling water sources can cause deep and numerous foundation cracks, along with crumbling, shifting, and heaving. Ensuring your home has proper drainage is the best way to avoid constant and costly foundation repair.
4. Flooding
Flooding makes every homeowner’s top 10 worst nightmare list. Flooding causes damage to everything it touches and isn’t always preventable. Flooding comes from:
- Broken pipes and water lines
- Overflowing rivers and lakes
- Dam or levee failures
- More rainfall than the soil can absorb
- Storm surges (coastlines)
- Snow and ice melt
- Plugged storm drains
If you experience a flood, it’s crucial to take certain steps and get professional foundation repair ASAP. The sudden influx of water can cause foundation cracks, shifting, and other deep-rooted issues.
5. Inclement Weather and Natural Disasters
Flooding isn’t the only disaster looming over your foundation. Other potential disasters include:
- Extreme heatwaves and droughts
- Thunderstorms
- Ice and snow storms
- Extreme freezes
- Earthquakes
- Sinkholes and landslides
You won’t be able to prevent these disasters from happening, but you can take steps to mitigate their damage. If you’re worried about drought, for example, experts recommend a controlled watering program to keep your soil from excessively drying out.
You should also check for foundation cracks after each incident occurs. Timely foundation crack repair can prevent minor problems from developing into big issues.
6. Tree Roots
Trees provide all sorts of practical and landscaping benefits, but they can also cause homeowner headaches. Trees planted too close to your house can potentially lead to foundation cracks.
Like soil, tree roots contract and expand with moisture. They also displace and dry out the soil around your foundation. These issues can cause unexpected foundation lifting and settling, which leads to cracking.
Along with foundation repair, you can invest in root barriers that prevent opportunistic roots from encroaching on your foundation. If roots encounter a harder surface, they deflect away from it while growing.
7. Poor Engineering
Every homeowner hopes their house construction used the utmost standards and workmanship. Unfortunately, substandard house construction still happens.
Shoddy workmanship can cause inevitable foundation cracks to appear through several engineering issues. These include:
- Improper foundation sizing
- Improper soil compaction
- Inadequate grading
- Insufficient reinforcement
- Substandard construction materials
You may shell out big money for foundation repair, only for these issues to reappear. If you keep struggling with foundation cracks, a structural engineering foundation inspection can help you determine if it’s engineering related.
8. Settling Foundation
Settling occurs when the soil around the foundation becomes compact through pressure. Some foundation settling is expected, but certain conditions can cause concern.
Soil settlement can be relatively fast (days and weeks) or slow (years and decades). There are two main types of soil consolidation:
- Primary
- Secondary
Primary consolidation settlement occurs as excess moisture is squeezed from the soil. Secondary consolidation refers to the ongoing adjustment after the excess water is dissipated.
In addition to soil consolidation, there are four major types of foundation settlement:
- Seasonal
- Uniform
- Tipping
- Differential
Seasonal settlement refers to climate effects on soil and water composition, such as hot and dry in the summer to cold and wet in the winter. Like the initial settlement, some seasonal effects are expected, but extremes or ill preparation can still cause a foundation crack.
Uniform settlement is generally the least worrisome unless it goes too deep. This occurs when the entire foundation settles at the same rate. You may see minor foundation cracks or no cracks at all.
Tipping settlement is a structural problem but doesn’t usually result in widespread foundation cracks either. Tipping occurs when foundation sections tilt, but the foundation still remains flat. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a famous example.
Differential settling is the most associated with foundation cracks. This occurs when different foundation areas settle at different rates. It causes stress and shearing on your foundation, which can result in cracks and even structural failure.
Don’t Delay: Fix Your Foundation Crack Today for Less Worries Tomorrow
A foundation crack may seem like a minor cosmetic issue, but it can indicate deeper problems. Many common causes of foundation cracks are unavoidable, but there are tools and strategies you can use to protect your foundation from adverse effects.
Are you looking for premium professional services at affordable prices? Our team specializes in foundation crack repair. Schedule your free inspection today!
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