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Health & Fitness

Are Basement Wall and Floor Cracks a Problem?

While a Non-Structural Crack is not threatening the integrity of the foundation, it is still a problem because it can be letting in water, moisture and/or soil gas.

Houses do develop cracks after they are built. It is a fact. Most times these cracks are referred to as nonstructural cracks or settlement cracks. There can be a wide variety of reasons why a foundation cracks.

Nonstructural settlement cracks can be defined as having a small width typically 1/16” to 1/8” and not extending past the foundation into the structure. In masonry foundations such as CMU, cinder block or brick, settlement cracks typically run vertically or diagonally.

 

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NON STRUCTURAL CRACKS ARE DIVIDED INTO 2 CATEGORIES:

1.    SETTELEMENT CRACKS     Settlement happens when a part of a house drops below the height where it was placed during the original construction. Cracks can occur due to settlement of the building, shrinkage and curing, stress and vibrations like trains and trucks traveling nearby or even bad construction methods.

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2.    SHRINKAGE or CURING CRACKS    A poured concrete foundation may contain small cracks because concrete shrinks as it cures. Concrete shrinks as it dries and cures. This shrinkage tends to pull the concrete apart. Sharp corners at windows and doors are locations that cracks often begin. The only significance of a non-structural crack is the possibility of soil gas and/or water infiltration.

 

Are Non-Structural Cracks Dangerous?


While a Non-Structural Crack is not threatening the integrity of the foundation, it is still a problem because it can be letting in water, moisture and/or soil gas. Soil gases include air, water vapor and the pollutants that might be picked up from the soil underneath a building and carried by air leakage into the building. The chief concerns among these pollutants are radon and methane gases.

How could air leakage come through our foundation and into the basement? A small insignificant looking crack in your basement wall could be letting Radon into your home. These small cracks look harmless enough. After all there is no water leaking through it, it’s been there for years, hasn’t gotten any bigger. No big deal, right? Maybe it is. What if some colorless, odorless, tasteless gas was entering your home unobserved? The second leading cause of lung cancer (after cigarettes) is Radon.

Why take a chance with a cancer causing invisible, colorless, odorless gas that may be entering your home? Hire a professional licensed contractor to come in and permanently seal those cracks. Common non-structural crack repairs typically start at about $350. It’s a small price to pay for Peace of Mind and safety.

 “NO CRACK IS A GOOD CRACK, HAVE IT FIXED TODAY”.

 

Should I get my Basement Inspected?

·    A-1 Basement Solutions provides free basement health inspections to New Jersey homeowners. Contact A-1 Basement Solutions at 908-322-1313, or info@A-1Basements.com for a free in-home inspection and detailed quote.

·    A-1 gives full service guaranteed work and competitive pricing every day.

·    We do everything for you. By taking care of all the details, A-1 Basement Solutions makes the job worry free. Our motto is No Problems…Just Solutions.

·    Knowledge is power. Learn everything you need to know about your basement: Subscribe to our blog and get our FREE E-BOOK “Basements 101” 

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