Martin Forest
President
When you notice active cracks forming around the house exterior or literally inside your basement walls, this is a sign that your foundation is having a bad time! The home’s foundation is the backbone of your property and if it’s integrity is compromised, several problems might occur in the near future.
Let us see together what type of cracks can happen on your foundation and what they might tell you about what is going on.
Active cracks
When you notice active cracks, it’s a sign that you need to consult quickly. An active crack is a crack that you have observed degrading over time. It might be a diagonal crack growing on your concrete foundation exterior wall or a crack that appears directly into an important concrete block of your house. This is a good indication you may need to repair the foundation of your home. The longer you wait, the bigger the problem will become. The most common causes of this type of crack include freezing and thawing, subsidence of the ground as well as inefficient drainage. If you believe that your foundation has active cracks, consult us quickly to develop a repair plan based on expertise and specialized knowledge.
Passive cracks
People generally think that so-called passive cracks do not require any particular intervention since they are very thin. They normally represent either less than 1/16 of an inch in the concrete or they are superficial in the concrete coating (plaster).
THIS IS NOT ENTIRELY TRUE! A crack, whether thin or wide, should always be waterproofed. The only time this does not require any intervention is when only the plaster is cracked.
Here is a quick and easy do-it-yourself trick: Take a hammer and break the plaster at ground level to check if the crack is only in the plaster or if it extends into the foundation wall and if it’s cracking concrete in a big way. This way, you will know if you need to intervene and place a call with Groupe Durasec.
It is important to remember that a crack is a gateway for water infiltration. A crack is said to be passive if it does not grow and remains in the same state over time. Either way, sooner or later you will have to think about fixing the foundation of your house. What is certain is that sealing the cracks present in the ground will offer you peace of mind and can only prevent the aggravation of a simple problem right from the start. If in doubt, intervene by asking for information.
Vertical or horizontal cracks
They are given the adjectives of horizontal or vertical because of their orientation. A horizontal crack can suggest, among other things, the existence of structural problems. As for the so-called vertical crack, it is probably due to the phenomenon of water withdrawal and it is possible that it is only superficial (plaster), which is clearly preferable to the horizontal crack.
If you are unsure of the type of cracks you are facing, do not try to solve the problem yourself, you could make the situation worse. Understanding the causes of the crack will also determine what will be the best treatment, depending on the environment in which the foundation is located. The evaluation of an expert in this field remains the best option in order to seal the crack quickly and durably. They remain the reference to determine if you will need to fix the foundation cracks of your house or simply act on the surface.