Horizontal Cracks In Concrete Basement Walls

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.

Horizontal cracks in concrete basement walls.

A step crack is horizontal and vertical cracking between the cinder blocks or bricks. Corrosion of embedded reinforcing steel. Concrete walls containing horizontal cracks are serious issues. Sometimes the soil pressure may shear the first course of concrete block above the basement floor slab and the wall slides inward.

If a horizontal crack appears where the foundation wall meets the basement floor it s not a structural problem but it should be sealed. Vertical and diagonal cracks in concrete walls typically indicate foundation movement. Horizontal cracks in concrete block or cast in place concrete foundation walls are rarely an indication of foundation settlement. There s also a stair step crack on each end of the horizontal crack and the wall is bowed in about 1 in.

Cracked basement walls this basement has a crack running horizontally along the block concrete wall. These types of cracks allow water to get into the basement. You can t handle this cracked wall by simply filling the crack and finishing off the basement. The crack line can look like steps.

Vertical cracks run the same direction as drywall generally making them less serious. Several masonry patching products such as hydraulic cement do an adequate job of filling cracks in concrete walls. 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. 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.

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. Backfill damage excessive height or premature backfill before the first floor framing was in place. Stair step cracks may also signify heaving. Horizontal cracks in concrete walls however indicate poor wall designs or pressure buildup behind the wall.

If the crack is horizontal or runs at a jagged 45 degree angle it might mean there s a more serious problem. Because basement floors are poured after the walls are. We rarely see cast in place concrete foundation walls which have developed a horizontal crack because of lateral or inward soil pressure. If a vertical crack widens at the top or bottom the wall is either settling or gradually heaving which may present serious issues.