Horizontal Cracks In Concrete Basement Walls

The crack line can look like steps.

Horizontal cracks in concrete basement walls.

Horizontal cracks in concrete block or cast in place concrete foundation walls are rarely an indication of foundation settlement. Sometimes the soil pressure may shear the first course of concrete block above the basement floor slab and the wall slides inward. 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. Vertical cracks run the same direction as drywall generally making them less serious.

Stair step cracks may also signify heaving. Horizontal cracks in concrete walls however indicate poor wall designs or pressure buildup behind the wall. A step crack is horizontal and vertical cracking between the cinder blocks or bricks. Several masonry patching products such as hydraulic cement do an adequate job of filling cracks in concrete 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. 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. 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. 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. Horizontal cracks horizontal cracks found on foundation walls are indications of a very serious problem and over time they can lead to a complete foundation wall failure. These types of cracks allow water to get into the basement.

Backfill damage excessive height or premature backfill before the first floor framing was in place. The most common cause of horizontal cracks in concrete block foundation walls is excessive unbalanced soil pressure. 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. Brick walls are just as vulnerable to cracking and bowing as other walls and they re also susceptible to crumbling mortar.

Corrosion of embedded reinforcing steel. Concrete walls containing horizontal cracks are serious issues. If a vertical crack widens at the top or bottom the wall is either settling or gradually heaving which may present serious issues. If a horizontal crack appears where the foundation wall meets the basement floor it s not a structural problem but it should be sealed.