Types of Cracks on Walls

A wide horizontal crack in the basement wall is a cause of concern. A crack does not mean that your foundation is ruined. The anchors of the plate may need to be repaired.

Horizontal foundation breaks are signs of serious problems and you need to contact a foundation repair company in Oklahoma City.

WATER PRESSURE CAUSES CRACKS

The cracks are caused by water pressure, which forces the foundation walls inward. Water is the greatest nemesis of a base. The soil expands due to wet periods that can be caused by drought, snowmelt or a high-water table. Such extension puts pressure on your cellar walls and causes them to go inside.

Water causes the ground to move under a building, leading to cracks, bowed walls and other problems. If a house is not drained properly, some soil areas may swell more than others and strain on the base walls.

Causes & Effects of Horizontal Cracks in Foundation Walls

These evaluation notes suggest that you are investigating an entire or almost entirely inferior wall. We describe the frequent causes of cracks in the middle and lower part of the foundation wall.

Caution: Severe hinged walls of the foundation, notably unreinforced concrete blocks, bricks and stones, are in danger of collapse.

These collapses can happen suddenly and rapidly even when there has been a foundation crack or damage for some time. The effect can be a dangerous collapse that causes loss of property, injury and even death.

How Extreme a Horizontal Crack in a Wall Can Be?

There are different options on various extents of foundations and there are risks of collapse on different sites like buildings, structural conditions.

Unless the house is all of masonry, horizontal foundation breaks are usually visible from within the basement or crawl area only.

Occasionally horizontal cracks on the exterior or interior walls of a building can be seen above level, as we demonstrate in our field report on repair.

Lateral or horizontal displacement on the earth stresses inside a masonry foundation wall is commonly seen on the first mortar joint over a basement or a space plate. Remember that the plate itself can contain the very first course of masonry blocks or bricks.

This is a helpful information to consider if you use a plumb line or measuring tape to chart the overall motion and position of the wall.

Horizontal base cracks are serious issues, but Earth Contact Products plate anchors should solve the problem.

Holes are excavated in a plate anchor wall system away from the base wall in the soil. Rods are guided by small holes on the wall of the basement and connected to internal anchors deeply embedded in the floor.

Contact Ramjack for foundation repair company in Oklahoma City.