Homework: Dealing with foundation cracks
Some foundation repair jobs require one to start over and pour a new foundation. Credit: Tim Carter
WORRISOME CRACKS
Cracks in a concrete foundation can be signs of serious structural problems. It's paramount that you take your time and call in as many experts as needed to help you assess the situation.
SOIL TROUBLE?
It's very possible cracks indicate the soil that supports your foundation is settling unevenly, making the problem hard to fix. On the flip side, many basements have hairline cracks that radiate from the corners of basement windows that are just harmless concrete shrinkage cracks.
CALL EXPERTS
You need to bring in at least one expert and possibly two. The first person should be a residential structural engineer who specializes in foundation work. Be sure to screen these individuals and ask them to provide at least five homeowners they have consulted with. Not all structural engineers inspect residential buildings, and some don't focus on concrete foundations.
SECOND OPINION
When the structural engineer visits the house and looks at all the visible evidence, he may recommend you bring in a soils engineer or a local geologist who knows the area and is aware of soils that don't provide stable foundations for houses.
FEES ARE WORTH IT
The two-hour charge you pay the structural engineer could be the best money you spend in your life. The fees you pay for an assessment will be a small percentage of what you might spend to remedy serious foundation problems.
REPAIR METHODS
If the engineer tells you he's not overly concerned with the cracks and what caused them, he may discuss with you repair methods that he's had success with. Ask him about epoxy injections in foundation cracks. Some concrete epoxies mimic welding steel. The actual epoxy is stronger than the concrete, and if you get it to bond correctly, it can make a permanent repair.
CONCRETE LEGS
Some concrete foundation repairs can be a matter of installing piers under the existing footings and foundations. These piers often are just concrete legs that extend through bad soil down to strong soil or bedrock below the house.
OTHER OPTIONS
All sorts of other foundation repair methods use steel plates and rods to straighten bowed foundation walls. Cables, interior vertical steel I-beams, and a host of other time-tested repair methods also may be suggested by the structural engineer.
WHEN YOU SELL
Foundation cracks, especially serious ones, that have been repaired often are hard to disguise. They're like a facial scar that telegraphs a message to a future buyer of the house that something bad happened. It's a stigma that could make it harder to sell your home, because a buyer may not believe the foundation is stable.
