Horizontal Cracks In Concrete Basement Walls

Horizontal cracks in concrete walls however indicate poor wall designs or pressure buildup behind the wall.

Horizontal cracks in concrete basement walls.

If the crack is horizontal or runs at a jagged 45 degree angle it might mean there s a more serious problem. Cracked basement walls this basement has a crack running horizontally along the block concrete wall. In concrete block foundation walls horizontal cracks are typically caused by the foundation wall being forced and bowed inward under the lateral or inward pressure of the soil. Horizontal cracks in concrete block or cast in place concrete foundation walls are rarely an indication of foundation settlement.

Backfill damage excessive height or premature backfill before the first floor framing was in place. Horizontal foundation cracks located at mid wall height on a foundation possible vehicle loading look for a driveway near the wall or site history involving movement of heavy equipment near. Because basement floors are poured after the walls are. Concrete walls containing horizontal cracks are serious issues.

These types of cracks allow water to get into the basement. However these products can fail after a few years if your foundation or retaining wall continues to move slightly leaving you with little choice but to chip them out and start all over again. Vertical cracks run the same direction as drywall generally making them less serious. Sometimes the soil pressure may shear the first course of concrete block above the basement floor slab and the wall slides inward.

You can t handle this cracked wall by simply filling the crack and finishing off the basement. Vertical and diagonal cracks in concrete walls typically indicate foundation movement. This type of movement will have horizontal cracks that may occur near the center of the wall or nearer to the top of the wall. There s also a stair step crack on each end of the horizontal crack and the wall is bowed in about 1 in.

If a vertical crack widens at the top or bottom the wall is either settling or gradually heaving which may present serious issues. Stair step cracks may also signify heaving. Corrosion of embedded reinforcing steel. We rarely see cast in place concrete foundation walls which have developed a horizontal crack because of lateral or inward soil pressure.

The crack line can look like steps. Horizontal cracks horizontal cracks found on foundation walls are indications of a very serious problem and over time they can lead to a complete foundation wall failure. The most common cause of horizontal cracks in concrete block foundation walls is excessive unbalanced soil pressure. If a horizontal crack appears where the foundation wall meets the basement floor it s not a structural problem but it should be sealed.