Structural Cracks In Concrete Walls

Plastic shrinkage concrete cracks.

Structural cracks in concrete walls.

If a vertical crack widens at the top or bottom the wall is either settling or gradually heaving which may present serious issues. Due to the age and construction designs of these walls they tend to have more cracks and leaks than other walls. A very straight vertical crack in a concrete block foundation wall extending from the basement floor slab to the top of the foundation wall. Repairing a foundation crack of this nature is similar to repairing other non structural cracks.

Stair step cracks may also signify heaving. Sometimes these cracks have a v shape less frequent with the top of the crack looking larger and the crack getting smaller as it travels towards to floor and diminishing or stopping before reaching the bottom of the foundation wall. Brick stone clay tile these types of walls are often found in historic and older homes. In general cracks wider than a credit card and running through the depth of the concrete are structural in nature and could be a sign of more serious problems see concrete crack repair evaluation.

Shrinkage cracks in a poured concrete foundation can be diagonal or vertical and are usually uniform in width. There s no exact method for determining how serious a wall crack is without hiring an expert to examine the wall but you might be able to. Call in a structural engineer for an in depth evaluation. Horizontal cracks in concrete walls however indicate poor wall designs or pressure buildup behind the wall.

Several masonry patching products such as hydraulic cement do an adequate job of filling cracks in concrete walls. Details about the causes of vertical cracks in concrete block walls and the possible causes and need for remedy or repair for this crack damage are discussed. We explain 6 of the most common types of concrete cracks below. That said interior wall cracks often have different causes than exterior wall cracks.

The walls on the outside of your home can crack for many of the same reasons. When concrete is still in its plastic state before hardening it is full of water. Fill it with a caulk suitable for use on concrete. Precast concrete walls are concrete walls built offsite trucked to the building site and then set in place.

At vertical cracks in block walls. How to determine if the cracks in walls are serious. The cracks might indicate a more serious structural problem. Concrete walls containing horizontal cracks are serious issues.

Interior cracks in concrete block walls can form for a number of reasons including.