What Causes Basement Wall Cracks?

It's essential to keep your basement dry all year long so that the house can be healthy and happy. But when there's a wall crack, it's important to take care of the situation since it can cause water to leak in. But how do wall cracks even happen? And when do we know when the wall crack is a serious concern or not? Here is where we'll find the answer to those questions. 

How Wall Cracks Are Formed

When a home is built, the ground was opened up to so the basement could fit right in. The weight of everything going on such as pouring the concrete, heavy machinery and people walking all around the ground bring a lot of weight and pressure onto the land below and around the basement. Then factor in the season changes, that causes the earth to move. The earth moving allows the home to settle which can cause cracks to open up due the the movement of the foundation. 

Hydrostatic Pressure is also a main cause for basement wall cracks. This is when the ground around the basement is super saturated with water; So as the soil absorbs water and expands in every direction especially towards your foundation. This will put pressure onto the basement walls until they begin to crack. 

When Should I Be Concerned?

Any wall crack that was caused by structural damage is a serious one. But these are several examples to look out for:

• A crack that runs along a ceiling then down the wall
• Horizontal cracks that run the length of the wall 
• Cracks on window frames, could be a sign of uneven settling
• If the foundation is concrete block, check for horizontal or stair-step cracks
• If the crack is more than 3/4 of an inch wide

FlexiSpan Wall Crack Repair System

If you find a wall crack that matches or is similar to the examples above, we recommend you go to us to seal the problem up! Our FlexiSpan wall crack repair system has helped many homeowners deal with basement wall cracks. 

• It's a permanent solution to keep wall cracks dry 
• Flexible enough to stay intact if the foundation moves
• Even if water passes through the first sealant, a foam strip will stop the flow
• The water will be drained to either our WaterGuard interior drainage system or a drywell where the wall and floor meet