Every house experiences some minor cracking in its foundation as it ages over time, but could a small cement crack be something more.
Homeowners are rightly concerned when they see cracks in the cement of their foundations, but knowing whether those cracks signal more serious damage can be difficult. Housing codes have specific guidance about when signs of foundation settling should be addressed.
Foundation and cement cracks wide enough to allow water to seep through are a clear sign of pending distress. Water intrusion not only erodes existing cracks, but can exacerbate unseen weaknesses to further undermine a home’s foundation.
Other signs that a home’s fundamental support is unstable include evidence ground is eroding under the foundation or pulling away from the structural support. This includes visible gaps between the foundation and the ground, depressions or sinkholes under the home, and discernable differences in ground height between one side of the home and another.
Cantsink experts can examine such signs and determine if a home’s foundation needs the added support of the company’s permanent, underground helical piers. Simply filling cracks with mortar or cement won’t solve the issue. With support from Cantsink’s ICC-certified supports, though, foundation settling is halted for the life of the home.
Any number of factors can cause a home’s foundation to settle and cause the cement to crack, and a homeowner can’t always know when those conditions are present. The presence of improperly compacted backfill soils under the house, for e
Cement Crack, After Foundation Repair
xample, can create conditions that undermine the foundation. Homes close to bodies of water such as lakes, streams or rivers also are at high risk because of higher moisture content in the soil.
Finally, tree roots can create problems under a foundation, either by growth and extension of a healthy tree’s root system under the home or the biodegradation of a root system from a tree that died or was cut down.
This year’s El Niño rains may cause or accelerate foundation settling and undermine a previously unaffected foundation. Sudden downpours create unanticipated runoff that can saturate soil and cause it to shift in unexpected ways. Water patterns that builders may not have foreseen during construction could wash away protective layers of soil around or under the house allowing intrusion that causes the foundation to sink.
Cantsink’s customized solutions can fix these problems discreetly, accurately, and cost-effectively. Sinking foundations that disrupt level alignment and structural integrity are restored to permanent stability with minimal disruption to landscaping. Once Cantsink’s easily installed helical piers are in place well below ground and the installation crew is gone, only the homeowner will know the lasting protection is there. Cantsink guarantees its helical piers ensure foundations that last.
With products engineered to specific soil and climate conditions, Cantsink protects property value with easy, economical repairs. A single call to Cantsink is all that’s needed to schedule a free home inspection that can stabilize and protect foundations, decks, pools and other landscape features.
Cantsink’s trained and experienced professionals will assess the level of damage, review any cement crack and devise a cost-effective solution and guarantee the result. When answers are that easy, there’s no reason to wait.
