I would like opinions regarding some exteriors cracks on this home. There is no evidence of damage on the inside of the home yet. The house is 20 years old and the cracks appeared two months after the home was completed.
What would be the best solution for repairing?
How much would it cost to repair these cracks?
The best way to repair the cracks is from the outside. Digging down to the weeping tile and repairing the cracks.
The cost will depend the amount for cracks and were they are located in relation to each other.
Now, to be held in seeing the price can't give.
An outside excavation repair is 4 times the cost of an inside injection repair. With every crack presenting differently, we typically need more information from the homeowner to provide an estimate.
Much like you wouldn't ask a doctor to diagnose you over the phone, inspecting and evaluating a foundation repair takes a professional eye to see the damage and access the repair best suited for the homeowner.
Typically most crack repairs will run you $400. injected from the inside.
Victor Tereso
If there is no damage inside this may just have been shrinkage on the original pour. Does the crack go all the way down to the footing? Is the crack wider at the top?
It is best to repair cracks like this from the outside first. Dig down to the footing and then grind out the crack (dove tail). Flush out the crack and repair with hydralic cement or epoxy.
I am not sure if the cracks go all the way down. They do not get larger at the bottom though...
And yes, the biggest crack is widest at the top. The other 3 look to be the same from top to where they go into the ground.
Would the moisture on the window sills be related to the cracks?
I doubt that moisture on the sills has anything to do with these cracks. Cracks are common with poured concret foundations. It is wise to close them up as water infiltration and freeze thaw cycles can cause problems.
Good Luck.
This wall just fix, no goot for future fix. Crack now but maybe 2 monts some of problem. Best one 6 inch arond cut wall inside, re bar connection, new concerete.
Sorry Kitt, but I don't really understand:
You said: "... The house is 20 years old and the cracks appeared two months after the home was completed..." That means the cracks are now 19 Years and 2 months old ??? To me this concrete looks more like a relatively newer concrete rather than 20 years old.
How did the cracks appear. Overnight? Or more slowly over a longer period of time? And if yes, what was the time frame? Where the cracks first very small and later bigger and bigger? Are the concrete walls the basement walls? To me it looks like a classical foundation problem. It looks like your footings are sagging.
You wrote further: "...There is no evidence of damage on the inside of the home yet..." What damage are you exactly mean? Such big cracks (how big/wide are they? - I guess about 1/4 inch or even more) must be visible on the inside of the concrete wall too. Or is your inside wall covered by a stud wall / dry wall?
What is the length of the crack what we see in the picture? I assume at least 3 feet or even more? And how wide are these cracks? Are they still getting bigger and bigger or did it stop in the meantime?
Before you start fixing those cracks, you must find AND FIX the source otherwise it will crack again. And do yourself a favour and let fix the cracks only by an experienced concrete restorer. It has to be done properly and it is nothing you can do by yourself. To do it right you'll need special high pressure injection equipment, the appropriate synthetic resin and the knowledge how to proceed.
3D-Tile-Design - Bertram Tasch
Maple Ridge, BC, (Greater Vancouver)
The home owner stated that two months after completion of the house in 1992, the cracks appeared and that he asked the builder to repair them. The builder "repaired" the one with the black epoxy looking stuff shown in the one photo. So as far as I know, the cracks (or atleast the one) is/are 19 yrs, 2 mos old. Unfortunately I dont have any more information regarding a time frame or size change.
The larger crack (which at most might be1/4 wide) is below the garage but does not show up on the garage floor. The other cracks are in the basement walls on the exterior from the corners of the basement windows. The cracks are from 1-3 feet exposed but they continue into the ground so I am not certain how far down the wall they go.
As far as the interior, the basment is fully finished and dry walled and therefore you cannot see any indications of water damage or movement in the drywall. There is a portion of the wall that is exposed but there are no cracks visible on the exposed portion of the wall.
Of course we would hire professionals to do the work. The problem is finding someone in our area!
Hi Kitt
I would say that you first need to find the source of the problem and then the fix comes afterwards otherwise you will waste time and money.
Hope this helps.
Good luck
"...The larger crack (which at most might be1/4 wide) is below the garage but does not show up on the garage floor..." I assume your foundation/footings and your garage floor are not connected. The footings are deeper in the ground than the garage floor.
In Germany, the house walls are usually built on top of a thick and reinforced concrete-foundation-plate. (See picture) If there was anything wrong, you would see cracks in the floor.
Only older houses are built on a so called "strip footings": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyNoBRmrLhs And this is probably the way your house was built. And if the footings are not sufficiently built, they will sag on one or more corners and the result will be cracked walls like yours.
"...As far as the interior, the basment is fully finished and dry walled and therefore you cannot see any indications of water damage or movement in the drywall..." If there is no water on the outside of the concrete wall, resp. if the water is properly drained away from the house, you will not neccessary notice any water problems.
"...There is a portion of the wall that is exposed but there are no cracks visible on the exposed portion of the wall...." Is a crack on the opposite (on the outside wall) or is this area just fine?
Cheers Bertram
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