Does your home have cracks in your concrete foundation walls? In Toronto and surrounding areas, foundation cracks are common and appear due to shifting foundations and older homes “settling” over time. Foundation cracks may also have appeared due to improper construction planning, or possibly due to environmental circumstances contributing to corrosion. A crack can often completely normal, or may be an indicator of something more serious. Its best to consult a foundation specialist to make sure the crack is not putting your home’s structural integrity at risk. Call Canada Waterproofers today for a free, no-obligation quote.
A crack in the foundation sometimes may not be a big deal for the time being, or other times it can be severely detrimental. Even when the crack is not very serious, it still allows moisture to enter inside the foundation, which can lead to further erosion over time. Concrete contraction is a common cause of a foundation crack. Contraction occurs during the concrete pouring process, as it shrinks when it hardens. These cracks commonly occur around other objects placed in the concrete slab, such as drains and plumbing fixture, as the concrete is not able to shrink around them. Although these cracks aren’t very likely to cause serious structural damage in your home, there are a nuisance, allowing for water and pests to enter.
Another cause of foundation cracks, is settling over time into the soil. Soft filled foundations with the concrete floor slab over soil can be vulnerable to “floating”. Floating is the term used in the industry that refers to the floor slab moving with the soil. Environmental factors such as too much rain, can causing rising groundwater to press against the foundation. Winter causes groundwater to freeze, causing pressure against your foundation, causing it to crack.
If you observe horizontal cracking in your walls, it is an indicator of the walls losing their structural integrity. These indicators should be taken very seriously. If you see a horizontal crack on your foundation wall, you should reach out to an expert immediately. Canada Waterproofers has over 25 years in the industry. Horizontal movement in foundation walls is usually caused by lateral or “sideways” force applied to some portion of the wall. This movement be caused by earth pressure, water & frost, or footing movement or foundation wall creep on hillsides. In other circumstances, impact damage from a vehicle or other large object can also result in damage to the foundation wall. If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, contact Canada Waterproofers for a free-no obligation quote for foundation cracks, waterproofing, basement leak repair, sump pump repair, plumbing, drain cleaning, or other basement-related renovation projects.
