The Dangers Of A Cracked Basement

You love your basement. And who wouldn’t? A basement adds extra square footage that can be used as a play space for kids, a workshop for dad, or a hangout for the whole family. A basement provides a lot of extra enjoyment for homeowners and their families who are fortunate enough to have one.

One of the greatest concerns for any homeowner, however, is structural damage due to issues with a home’s foundation. Seeing cracks in your basement floor or walls is a telltale sign that a house is suffering from a problem requiring repair to the foundation.

Basements Start Out Waterproof But Don’t Always Stay That Way

Unlike a home built on a slab or crawlspace foundation, a home with a basement is typically built using a concrete perimeter of pillars that support the structure’s above-ground weight. The foundational pillars are dug at a minimum depth of eight feet.

The walls of the basement are most often built using cinder blocks and poured concrete, which initially waterproofs the basement. Over time, however, the parts that form a home’s foundation can begin to shift as a result of the surrounding soil settling or for a myriad of other reasons. This is typically not due to poor build quality and is unforeseeable in most cases.

Different Cracks Signal Different Dangers

Minor cracks in the floor or walls of your basement can be as small as an 1/8-inch or less. Although they do not necessarily signal a major problem, even minor cracks should be sealed up as quickly as possible by an experienced waterproofing and foundation repair service.

Wider cracks or those that have a stairstep appearance in the mortar joints pose a much larger threat to your home. From moisture finding its way inside your home to doors and windows that no longer open or close properly, the dangers spread quickly throughout the entire home.

Eventually, if not addressed in a timely and effective manner, cracks in the basement walls or floors can lead to cracked ceramic tile, sloping floors, or bowing walls in other areas of the house. It is vital that cracks in the basement be examined by a trusted professional to avoid larger issues.

The good news is that whatever the cause of cracks in your basement, it can be remedied fairly easily with the right experts like Foundation Solutions 360. Call Foundation Solutions 360 at 855-532-5360 or use our online contact form to request a free estimate today.