Spot a fissure in your foundation?

The first footstep to repairing a foundation crack is to identify what type of fissure information technology is. Hither are the 10 most mutual types.

1)Horizontal Cracks

Horizontal cracks in your basement foundation are serious. This blazon of cleft is often due to unbalanced soil and hydrostatic water pressuring pressing confronting your foundation wall. You lot may notice the foundation bowing in and water leaking into your basement. Both block and poured foundations can develop horizontal cracks.

In Ottawa, horizontal cracks are mutual, they are found below grade where the frost line is located and often acquired by the freezing and thawing cycle. Over time this can create unbalanced pressure on your foundation wall creating a horizontal crack.

Renco Tip: Phone call several foundation crack experts to go opinions and repair options ASAP. The good news is horizontal cracks can be permanently repaired with lifetime guarantees and transferrable warranties if you sell your home downwards the route.

horizontal-foundation-crack

two) Stair Pace Cracks.

Block foundations are prone to stair-stride cracks. These types of cracks happen forth mortar joints and pose a serious threat to the integrity of your basement foundation. There are 2 common causes of stair-stride cracks:

  1. Foundation settlement or sinking in ane expanse
  2. Moisture related problems exterior your foundation

Renco Tip: If you lot can put more than than a quarter in the foundation crack telephone call for a contractor for a professional inspection and repair options. While some mortar-based hairline cracks are common, anything larger is posing a threat.

iii) Hairline Cracks:

Hairline cracks are mutual in new construction foundations across the country. They ordinarily announced within one year and caused past the settling and drying of the new foundation. The proficient news is these cracks are usually cosmetic and can exist repaired past DIY homeowners for ~$200 or professionals for $400-$600.

Renco Tip: If you purchased a new home and notice a hairline foundation cracks contact your home builder. Your warranty may cover the repair of the hairline scissure. Make sure to have photos to document the crack and monitor progression.

hairline-foundation-crack

4) Vertical Cracks:

Vertical cracks in your foundation wall are less serious than horizontal cracks and do not pose a structural threat. They are commonly found in poured foundations running straight up and downwards your wall. In Ottawa, vertical cracks are ane of the most crack types found in basements. They are acquired by the foundation settling overtime or the natural concrete curing process

The most common repair for vertical cracks is an epoxy or polyurethane crevice injection. DIY kits starting time at $75 and professional person crack injections outset at $400.

Renco Tip: If there is no moisture and you lot cannot fit a quarter in the crack there is no immediate threat. Yous can have photos and monitor crack or repair with epoxy injection.

interior-vertical-foundation

five) Diagonal Cracks:

Like vertical cracks, most diagonal foundation cracks practice non pose a serious threat to the structural integrity of your foundation. They are found running a maximum thirty degrees of vertical and acquired past the natural curing of the physical foundation wall or settlement over time. The virtually common repair is epoxy crack injections, these crack repair costs range from $75 for DIY kits to $400 and up for professional crevice repair.

Renco Tip: When you spot a diagonal cleft snap a photo and document the engagement. If the scissure is a hairline and a quarter cannot fit into it, you lot demand not worry. Check back in 6 months, if the crack has continued to grow call a foundation professional for guidance.

diagonal-foundation-crack

vi) Shrinkage Crack:

Like hairline cracks, shrinkage foundation cracks happen when poured concrete foundations begin to dry out and lose moisture. New home builds are prone to shrinkage cracks within the first yr. These cracks are often vertical and pose no structural threat to your foundation. The biggest risk is if you are in an area with high levels of Radon Gas that leak into your basement.

Renco Tip: If you are in a new home build, contact your builder most your domicile warranty. Shrinkage foundations may be covered. If non, snap a photo and document cleft. If information technology grows or yous discover more than cracks investigate having an epoxy crack injection repair.

concrete-shrinkage-crack

7) Foundation Slab Cracks:

Poured concrete slabs are prone to developing cracks over time. The challenge is agreement why the foundation slab crack occurred. In that location are 3 common reasons:

  • Concrete Curing: The most common reason is the natural drying, settling, and curing of the concrete slab. This poses no structural threat and is mostly cosmetic.
  • Slab Settlement: If a new foundation slab develops settlement bug you are in trouble. This may be caused by poor workmanship where the supporting ground was not compacted or poor soil conditions. Call a professional person for an inspection right abroad.
  • Frost Heave: Clamber space slab foundations that sit at or to a higher place course are at risk of frost heave. During freezing, weather h2o underneath the slab tin freeze causing the concrete to buckle

Renco Tip: If the crack is larger than a hairline, call a foundation expert to get on advice on the cause and options to repair.

foundation-slab-structural

8) Non-Structural Foundation Crack

A non-structural foundation crack is one that does non pose a threat to the structure of the domicile, and typically only results in leaks during rainstorms or when snowfall is melting. Despite the lack of structural threat, water seeping into your basement is nevertheless a serious matter that requires attention.

Water leaking into your home can ruin your holding, walls, floors and contribute to the growth of mold. Left unattended, these types of cracks may as well get worse. If yous don't human action fast to address a crack in your basement, no matter how insignificant information technology may seem, it's only a thing of time before you lot notice that water has entered your home.

Renco Tip:Concrete basement walls tin can have small cosmetic cracks due to the natural curing process. If your scissure is betwixt 1 to 2mm and runs vertical or diagonal it may be non-structural.

Unsure? Text or email Renco a photograph of your foundation crack today.

measuring-foundation-crack

9) Wet Not-Structural Foundation Crack

This type of crevice is the result of foundation shrinkage due to h2o evaporating from the concrete. Information technology would typically happen inside the first month later on a foundation is poured. The wetter the concrete mix is initially, the more shrinkage will happen, increasing the likelihood of cracks forming. The natural setting of the physical tin likewise lead to cracks.

For foundation cracks that are wet and actively leaking, we normally use urethane as a sealant material. It'southward a flexible substance that is piece of cake to inject into the fissure, and expands to fill up the cavity when it comes into contact with water.

Renco Tip:If y'all spot water or moisture coming from a crack the faster you human action the ameliorate. Ottawa's quickly changing weather patterns can cause the scissure to grow or atomic number 82 to more than h2o issues.

10) Structural Foundation Fissure

These types of cracks are extremely serious equally they pose a chance to the structural integrity of your home. Sure sign of a structural deficiency are horizontal cracks, and cracks wider than a 1/iv inch. Structural foundation cracks are unremarkably the upshot of movement, whether it'south caused by temperature changes, soil pressure or soil shrinkage.

In this example, epoxy is the material of choice for repairing the crack. Because the scissure was initially caused by stress resulting from movement which tin can continue, epoxy solitary is not generally enough to ensure the repair of the crevice. Further reinforcement, in the form of carbon cobweb countersunk staples or straps, is oft necessary to ensure that the crack does non expand.

Renco Tip:If you spot h2o or moisture coming from a crack the faster you act the better. Ottawa's chop-chop irresolute weather patterns can cause the crack to grow or atomic number 82 to more water issues.

If yous recollect you have a structural foundation crack Text or email Renco a photo of your foundation crack today. We can access the damage and recommend a proven solution backed by our Renco domicile guarantee.

structural-foundation-crack-ottawa

Get a foundation scissure repair assessment today.

Make full out the form below and Renco will contact yous within 24hrs to setup an date.
You lot can alsotext 613-859-9006 with your concerns, questions and photos.