Cracked Home Foundation in Akron Ohio?
If you have noticed cracks in your basement floor or walls, or along the soil line on the outside of your home, don’t ignore them! Call Garrett Basement Waterproofing for an inspection.
Preventing Foundation Damage
Hairline cracks may be an indication that moisture is entering your foundation. Those cracks can widen over time, allowing more moisture in and potentially damaging your foundation. Quick fixes using epoxy or other fillers hide the cracks, but they don’t treat the cause and that can lead to extensive—and expensive—repairs down the road.
Our experts will inspect your foundation inside and out to determine the cause of the crack, the extent of the damage and the material that comprises your foundation. Armed with a precise diagnosis, our professionals will be able to properly repair the crack and determine if further intervention is needed.
What to look for
If you have noticed changes in your basement walls or floor, small cracks or shifting at corners or where the floor and wall meet, take time to do your own inspection.
- Note the date you first saw a crack and record whether it grows or changes.
- Note whether cracks are horizontal or vertical, or whether they cross a corner or are in a stair step pattern.
- Note times you noticed moisture in your basement and what weather conditions were like.
- Try to identify the material used in your basement walls and floor and whether it is uniform throughout your home.
Does your home have cracks in the foundation?
Contact Garrett Basement Waterproofing today!
What you should know
Isolated hairline cracks (thinner than the width of a penny) are relatively common in foundations as shifting and settling occur, but a wider crack and one that is visible from both the inside and outside can be serious. While hairline cracks can often be attributed to normal concrete or mortar shrinkage, larger cracks and stair step cracks may be due to soil settlement or soil pressure, which can undermine the integrity of your foundation and lead to water seepage or buckling/bowing of the foundation wall.
Consider the following and schedule an inspection and repair with Garrett Basement Waterproofing if you see these cracks in your foundation.
- Vertical cracks occur when soil settles and begins putting additional pressure on the foundation wall. You will likely observe small to significant water seepage from these cracks.
- Horizontal cracks usually occur when soil around the foundation becomes saturated with water and puts excessive pressure on the foundation wall. Continual pressure against the foundation will cause these cracks to widen and may eventually cause the wall to buckle or collapse.
- Stair step cracks in a concrete block wall are usually caused by settling and shifting in soil around and beneath the foundation. Visible along mortar joints and between concrete blocks, these small cracks may indicate a deeper foundation problem, such as weak concrete or inferior reinforcement or footers.
The professionals at Garrett Basement Waterproofing will document areas of concern in your foundation and advise you of an appropriate foundation repair.
