Evaluating Your Wall For Repairs
If you are seeing some cracks on your walls,
there is no need to panic. This can have no significance at
all. However, there are some that can signify that you are
experiencing a big structural defect. If this is
the case, then you would have to do the appropriate action for the
case. This is why proper evaluation
should be done.
Noticing The Problem
Most often, cracked foundation walls are given attention when a
property is being sold in the market.
Even though the owner would insist that the cracked wall has been
like that "forever", the buyer has a
tendency to become concerned about the situation.
Whether you are a buyer, seller, or some one who is simply concerned
about their wall, here are some
important points on evaluating your wall if it needs repair or not.
Causes And Factors Of Wall Cracking
Foundation walls that are built using concrete blocks are much
predisposed to having cracks than solid
concrete walls. This is especially true if an 8-inch block was used
for the block wall.
Of course, foundation walls should support a building’s the vertical
weight. Plus, if its around a
full basement, it should be able to resist lateral or inward
pressure from the soil outside that are against
the wall. If water saturates the backfill or soil, then the inward
pressure could easily overload your
block wall, which can result into cracks.
Additionally, roots of large and moderate sized trees that are near
your foundation wall can also cause you major wall problems. Most of
the time, roots grow toward your walls due to the water accumulation
along it.
Seeing The Signs
Horizontal cracks on mortar joints are usually caused by too much
inward pressure against its block
foundation. If you see a horizontal crack that is about high as half
of the wall, then this can be one
sign of too much lateral pressure from the soil. Sometimes, you may
also find some step cracks or short
and small horizontal and vertical cracks near the end of a wall.
This too is a variation of soil pressure
cracks.
When To Be Alarmed
Usually, block foundation walls can remain cracked for about a
number of years without any noticeable
cracking additions or inward bulging. But, the moment you get a
horizontal crack, your wall’s structural
integrity is very much reduced. Additionally, if the soil backfill
is saturated, especially during rainy
days, the number of cracks could increase or, worse comes to worst;
your wall foundation can collapse.
Solution Choices
Problems like these are possible to be permanently repaired. In
fact, there are methods in which you do
not need to have a complete replacement, provided that the inward
movement doesn’t exceed one inch in relation to the bottom of the
wall. You can usually find the maximum inward deflection where the
horizontal crack is and near its mid-height.
One method you can do is bracing your wall with reinforced block
piers or steel post-braces. However,
if you are concerned with the cost, you may want to go for steel
post-braces since they are less expensive than the other. However,
if it is the overall look you are after, then you may want to use
piers since they can give a better finished appearance.
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters, electric heaters,
portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop on line at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
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