Structural Cracks In Concrete Walls

When concrete is still in its plastic state before hardening it is full of water.

Structural cracks in concrete walls.

Plastic shrinkage concrete cracks. 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. The walls on the outside of your home can crack for many of the same reasons. A very straight vertical crack in a concrete block foundation wall extending from the basement floor slab to the top of the foundation wall.

We explain 6 of the most common types of concrete cracks below. 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. Precast concrete walls are concrete walls built offsite trucked to the building site and then set in place. Stair step cracks may also signify heaving.

If a crack between the wall and floor exceeds. When that water eventually leaves the slab it leaves behind large voids between the solid particles. That said interior wall cracks often have different causes than exterior wall cracks. Repairing a foundation crack of this nature is similar to repairing other non structural cracks.

Brick stone clay tile these types of walls are often found in historic and older homes. Shrinkage cracks in a poured concrete foundation can be diagonal or vertical and are usually uniform in width. These cracks no matter what the width are rarely acceptable. 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.

Concrete walls containing horizontal cracks are serious issues. At vertical cracks in block walls. If a vertical crack widens at the top or bottom the wall is either settling or gradually heaving which may present serious issues. The cracks might indicate a more serious structural problem.

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. 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.

Fill it with a caulk suitable for use on concrete.