What Do Different Types of Foundation Cracks Mean?

vertical foundation wall cracks in a home
June 9, 2021

We’ve all been there: staring at the foundation of our home trying to figure out if those cracks are serious or not. Does a vertical foundation crack mean something different than a horizontal crack? Can you just fill the foundation cracks? These questions have probably all run through your mind at some point. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the different types of cracks, their meanings, and possible solutions to the foundation cracks.

Vertical Cracks

Vertical cracks are some of the most common cracks that we see, and they are usually a sign of settlement. This means that they may be due to the natural settlement of the home in the first few years after it has been built. However, they could also be a serious foundation repair issue that needs to be resolved.

How do you know? If the cracks are small and have never gotten bigger after they initially appeared after the home was built, they are likely okay to just cover with epoxy. If they have recently appeared, appear to continue to grow, and are wide cracks, there is likely a problem with your foundation. You can monitor this yourself or call a professional to get your foundation crack repair problem checked out.

vertical foundation cracks in a home

Horizontal cracks

These foundation cracks are usually caused by a bowing wall. Bowing walls will usually happen due to hydrostatic pressure. When soil is backfilled beside the home that was dug out for the foundation, it is looser than the heavily compacted soil that hasn’t been dug out. Therefore, it can fill with water and get heavy. This is especially a problem if it happens to freeze.

The heavy, water-filled soil (or frozen soil) then pushes against the foundation in unexpected ways and causes foundation cracks. Eventually, these will lead to a wall bowing in or outwards. This should be taken care of immediately, as they can collapse without warning. If you think you have bowing walls, call the KC Waterproofing and Foundation Repair experts as soon as possible.

Shrinkage Cracks

Shrinkage cracks in a poured concrete foundation wall are caused during the concrete curing process. This is pretty normal and nothing to lose sleep over. However, that doesn’t mean you should ignore shrinkage cracks. If there’s poor drainage around the foundation, hydrostatic pressure will build up and push water through shrinkage cracks and into your basement. Fortunately, shrinkage cracks are easy to seal.

Slab Foundation Cracks

Slab foundation cracks are caused by movement in the foundation. The movement could be caused by various things, including expansive soil pushing against the slab, voids under the slab caused to soil erosion, or upheaval caused by tree roots searching for water. Slab foundation cracks can allow water to enter your home, and if they’re wider than 1/16 inch, you should contact a foundation repair contractor for an inspection.

Slab foundation cracks needing repair

Stair Step Cracks And Diagonal Cracks

If you see diagonal foundation cracks on your foundation walls, you likely also have a problem with bowing walls. If you see stair-step cracks, it’s very likely due to frost heave (when the frozen soil pushes against your home or raises things) OR due to the settlement of the home. In either case, it could be a fairly easy fix.

Have Foundation Cracks? Call KC Waterproofing and Foundation Repair!

At KC Waterproofing and Foundation Repair, we are experts in foundation repair and waterproofing. Never leave a foundation problem to get worse. Fix the problem now and stop stressing about it! Contact KC Waterproofing and Foundation Repair now for more information and to get started.

Visit our Ultimate Guide to Waterproofing Your Kansas City Home for more articles that will help you keep the basement of you Kansas City Metro area home dry and strong.

Bringing Professional Basement Waterproofing and Foundation Repair to homes in Wyandotte County, Kansas including Kansas City, Leavenworth, Atchison, Lawrence, Lansing, and Tonganoxie!

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Received an alarm that our pump was not working. KC Waterproofing sent out a technician, Mario V, the next day. Mario is so professional and efficient. He diagnosed the problem with our backup pump, replaced it, and got the system back online. And, everything was under warranty!
KC waterproofing did a fantastic job stabilizing the foundation at my house. Your home is your largest investment so it can be nerve racking when you have work done on your foundation. The staff at KC waterproofing were professional, knowledgable and great to work with, which helped ease my anxiety. Fran the estimator diagnosed the issue and explained the process; Michelle at the office helped with billing; Don the owner called personally to schedule my project and ask if I had any questions; and Keith, Jesse and Jacob did an awesome job installing the piers (which is hard work) and made sure I understood what was going on at all times.
5-Star review for KC Waterproofing! Thank you Gerry, Jesse & Kenny for a job well done. They were prompt, courteous, and professional. We would recommend KC Waterproofing!
The guys that came to our house to do the repairs worked really hard and were very kind and professional especially Gerry. Thank you for the excellent job!!
Keith and the guys did an outstanding job. They were on time, hard working and explained everything as work progressed. We couldn’t be more happier with the foundation repair they did.
Scott explained everything in easy to understand terms. I am confident that he was honest and thorough. He was not the first estimate we have gotten but he was the most impressive.Keith and Jesse arrived at the appointed time and explained what we could expect, then got started. The project took a little longer than expected because they had to go deeper than anticipated. The last day of the project brought a third guy. I regrettably did not learn his name but he performed admirably. The job was completed as Keith told us and the only mess left behind was the mess we made moving things out of the way.Keith explained the confusing emails that my wife received was due to an outage of Verizon. We were happy with everyone involved throughout the process, from estimator to office personnel to the eventual workers who performed like rock stars. I will heartily recommend KC Waterproofing to anyone who is faced with foundation issues. We have complete confidence that our problems will not revisit us. The crew checked our sticking door throughout the lifting process to make sure it was working properly. We are relieved to have this behind us.
Matt was very knowledgeable and kind. Answered all my 97 year old mom’s many questions. He knew what he was doing and explained it very thoroughly. Top notch.
These guys HUSTLED! They were fast, efficient, neat, and so friendly. They did an excellent job, and I highly recommend using this company. From initial quote to final job, everyone has been informative, and low pressure. Wonderful company!
Scott came out and was helpful to finding a solution to our foundation issue. We look forward to being able to work again with KC Waterproofing, they are an excellent company that are easy to work with and have helped us in the past.
Everyone I spoke with at the company was very personable and kind. They took care of all our needs and on top of that, offered competitive pricing compared to other companies we interviewed.
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