It’s a great time to cover the various types of foundation cracks that may affect your Kansas City home. Since we’ve had serious drought conditions this past year, coupled with the shifty clay soil in this area, cracks occur quite often. We see them in homes all throughout our community.

What are the kinds of foundation cracks and what should you do about them?

Types of Foundation Cracks: Vertical

There are two types of cracks you’ll find along building foundations: vertical and horizontal.

If you see vertical cracks, you probably have a settling issue. This means we’ll need to inspect it, take some measurements, and develop a solution to prevent things from getting worse. Fortunately, vertical cracks are less serious and are easier to repair than horizontal/diagonal cracks.

The repair effort involves going underneath the foundation and installing piers. That’s where we drive some pipe into the bedrock and underpin the home with steel piers. The extra support from the piers will help neutralize all the exterior movement you get from the soil.

Types of Foundation Cracks: Horizontal/Diagonal

Then, there are horizontal or diagonal cracks, which are a sign of inward movement in the foundation wall. We can resolve this by installing I-beams, vertical wall restraints, every five to six feet (or every four feet on a cinder-block wall) to restrain the wall from further movement.

Cinder-block foundation cracks can go all the way through because that’s the nature of how they’re built, one on top of another. It’s often easier to deal with concrete-poured foundation walls since it’s one solid mass. The repair work for cinder-block walls can involve a lot of puzzle work since they go together in pieces or segments.

Other Foundation Issues That May Require Repair

We’ve mentioned before how horizontal wall cracks can be some of the most concerning types of foundation issues. What are the other most pressing problems?

• Bowing or Buckling Walls
  • Cracks and damage can occur along the foundation and any of the walls within your home. Your walls may also bow or buckle because of soil shifting, often accompanied by excessive water nearby. It’s another scenario that could require us to install support beams to rectify poor stability.
• Basement Water Intrusion
  • The other big dilemma Kansas City homeowners face relates to hydrostatic pressure around basements. Yes, water intrusion can cost you thousands of dollars in damage, especially if the problem persists for too long. This can from busted pipes, poor sloping around the house, poorly positioned gutters, and other sources. Water and cracks are the two main reasons folks call us to remedy their drain systems or perform basement waterproofing.

Let Olson Foundation Repair Fix Foundation Cracks for Good

Do you recognize any of these problems around your property? While foundation cracks don’t always present an immediate emergency, we’ve found that ignoring them, even as they get larger, doesn’t end well. When in doubt, it’s better to call us for a quick inspection rather than try to forecast whether the cracks will spread or get larger.

You can count on a prompt resolution from us no matter if you need a quick epoxy injection for small cracks, or something more serious like steel beam installation. Olson Foundation Repair has a track record that spans all the way back to the 1980s. Our work comes with plenty of service warranties, and you can verify our credibility by looking through all our positive customer feedback.

So, now that you have a better grasp on the various types of foundation cracks, make sure you contact us when you encounter a problem around your home.