Cracks are pretty much a universal sign for breakage. In some places, this sign may not be meaningful to someone, but when these cracks are appearing in the foundation walls and floor of your home, there is plenty of reasonable cause for concern. A homeowner from Nashville, TN agreed and gave our team of dedicated professionals a call about some cracks they had spotted in the foundation walls of their basement.
The good news is, and our team was happy to inform the homeowner, is that hairline cracks are nothing to worry about. They don’t pose a threat to the foundation at all, and can easily be covered with paint to make them much more sightly. Also, any narrow cracks that are no wider than 1/8″ are okay as well, but need to be monitored for expansion. If you are checking the crack on a monthly basis and taking note of small growth each time, it is worth looking into identifying a possible foundation issue that is the underlying cause. The homeowner clarified with our team that a majority of their cracks fell in this category, however, there were two in total that were raising concern and we agreed to take a look.
Once on the scene of in the basement of their home, it was identified that there were a large number of cracks that were wider than 1/8″ and that also ran horizontal to the basement floor at the bottom of the basement wall. These cracks are also alright to remain calm about but were sealed in with concrete compatible caulk to keep moisture, soil smells, and possible radon gas out of the home.
After taking this step, two cracks both larger than 1/2″ wide were identified in one of the rooms at the far end of the basement. These cracks alone could be repaired with caulk or epoxy but were looked at by a technician to determine whether or not they were from something serious. What this evaluation revealed was that the far wall of this room in the basement was also slightly bowed. It was nearly not able to be seen by just looking at the wall and was found upon further measuring and inspection. This was a sign, albeit an early one, that the foundation wall was losing its integrity slowly over time and that the cracks in question would indeed give way to bigger problems.
The next step for the homeowner was to consider scheduling a foundation wall repair to prevent further damage to the walls, preserving as much of the integrity as could be. The process of early detection made this possible and gave them the upper hand in establishing the safety of their home. If you suspect such foundation damage happening in your home, give Barrier Waterproofing Systems a call today at (615) 257-1060 | (931) 536-1168 and schedule an evaluation of the foundation walls and floors.
