Foundations and cracks – the touchiest part of a home inspection.

During many of the home inspections that I have witnessed, the buyer’s main concern is the basement, and more specifically the foundation. Are there cracks in the foundation, and if so, are they a threat to the structural integrity of the house? Having owned a home with a leaky… well, let me rephrase that… flooding basement, I understand the inherent angst that comes with the topic. Perhaps the funniest anecdote in hindsight was the night the elders from our church were due to visit. There was a heavy downpour of rain that evening and our eaves trough gave out. Water was entering the entire basement from what seemed like 3 or 4 points. My wife and I were fighting against the tide (literally it seemed) armed with 2 shop-vacs. The kids were upstairs full of excitement over this adventure, while we struggled to keep the water level under the 2-3 inch mark. It was horrible. Along come the 2 elders, all dressed up nicely. Without hesitation, they jumped into the fray, forming an alternative eaves trough to deflect the water, and calling up a friend who had an industrial sized water vacuum. A couple hours later the rain had abated, and the bunch of us enjoyed a well-earned hot coffee, soaked head to toe.

I don’t wish an episode like that on anyone. Though we look back with amusement to some level, and still respect the efforts of John B. and Gerry D. that night, it was very depressing to see the house that you call home flooding. That being said, I have learned over the years a lot about foundations and cracks. It seems that there is not a single home in Ontario, or at the very least the Niagara Region that does not have foundation cracks. There are no perfect houses. You can build your house upon a rock, but there will still be some shifting or shrinking, while the building finds its sweet spot. With concrete foundations, that is just a fact of life.

When you are examining a concrete foundation wall, you want to be able to discern cracks that are “natural” and cracks that pose a threat to the house. In general, a vertical crack, less than a quarter inch wide, is a naturally occurring shrinkage or settlement crack. As long as the crack does not continue up into the structure of the house above the foundation walls, it is likely not an issue. Another way to check a crack is to see whether the two sides of the crack match, like two pieces of a puzzle do. If the sides do not match, and there is evidence of shearing, then there may be serious concerns to investigate. Typical shrinkage or settlement cracks will be located in the middle area of a concrete foundation wall. When the crack is near an end or corner, it is of more concern than one in the middle. A common area for a crack in a foundation wall is by a window cut-out. Using common sense, we can imagine that the amount of pressure the house puts on a foundation is higher around a hole in the foundation. These cracks are the type that will often produce moisture leaks, if the window well and the slope grading outside the home are not ideal. A sign that moisture is getting in through a crack is the presence of efflorescence. This is a white, almost powdery residue that water will leave behind. Though this does indicate that there was moisture present at some point, it does not mean that it is time to turn and run from what may be a sound home. Even if the crack is allowing some moisture through, there are ways to remedy this that are relatively inexpensive. For example, the cost to inject a crack, by a professional, runs about $400 per crack. A small investment in the big picture of things.

Don’t think, though, that I am playing down concerns over foundation issues. I am not. But, when dealing with a poured concrete foundation, there are accessible and cost-friendly options available. If your foundation is stone or block, there are likely more concerns, and less options to choose from. A crack in a block foundation will not typically be vertical, but like a staircase, follow the mortar paths between the blocks. Locating the actual source of incoming moisture with a block foundation can be difficult. This is where a remedy has the possibility to get into much higher costs, and you need to bring in a number of experts to analyse the problem, and provide a quote on the repair costs. I do know a number of basement and foundation experts, and they are always willing to take a look at a foundation and propose a solution. If you are a homeowner, and there are foundation issues with your home, call me and I will get you in touch with them. If you are a prospective buyer and we come across a building with some visible issues, the best time to discuss them is right there while they are in front of us. In some cases, the best decision is to move on to the next house, and cross this one off our list. But let’s make sure that to some degree we know what we are looking at, and what that means before we eliminate what may otherwise be a great home for you. Communication and knowledge are the keys.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me. I welcome your input.

Randy Mulder