Concrete Foundation Cracking

Any cement application can have problems with cracking, but foundations have a particular set of cracking issues. You'll want to keep an eye on a new foundation after construction because many of the cracks in the foundation occur in those first five years. Solutions are available from the time that first crack appears. Depending on the severity of the crack, you will have to Address the problem eventually, especially if you decide to finish your basement. 

Concrete shrinks and expands due to moisture and dehydration. Though much of this cracking is cosmetic, some can cause serious fissures. Homeowners address cosmetic and fissure cracks with patching. With fissure problems, patching applied to the crack can fix the crack for good because the patch is often flexible. 

Foundations crack for a variety of reasons. Temperature changes causes cracks because of thermal changes. Sometimes, parts of a foundation sit on soft soil while other parts may sit on hard soil, causing fissures and cracking. Soil conditions cause sub-grade settlement or movement, and this causes cracking. Any changes in moisture can cause cracking. To stop further cracking and deterioration, it’s recommended that a homeowner repair a crack from the interior to the exterior wall. 

Concrete cracks from the day it’s first installed. Since the issue is often moisture content of the cement, it has little to do with how old a structure is. An old foundation will not develop serious fissures without an incident, like heavy equipment working close-by. Heavy machinery causes cracks or changes the subsoil so cracks eventually follow. Because cracking has no set schedule during the first five years, it’s safe to say you can apply patches anytime. 

Homeowners apply patches in less than an hour with products like flexomeric. When you apply a patch, you don’t have to tear out a wall, dig up the side of the house or reconstruct the foundation. It is much faster and much less expensive. In addition, it is an effective repair.

Cracks form in many places in concrete foundations. Cracking occurs in beam pockets, wall step-downs, basement corners, basement floor slabs, stairwells, window wells and more. Foundations require occasional inspections and a repair-as-needed approach. Try not to let foundation cracks get too big. Use a solution like Flexomeric concrete patches.