How did my footing crack?
Foundation settlement is not always manifested by cracks in the footing. They don’t stand out as much as, say, a crack in the stucco or the ceiling or the drywall. Most foundational breaks are concealed by overgrown vegetation. They are serious symptoms of foundation problems but are not the most obvious ones. A crack is always a sign of something else being wrong. There is never a good reason for footing cracks.
This footing underneath my house has cracks; what gives?
To begin, the footings extend the foundation by two to three feet beyond the original footprint all the way around the house. This additional depth is built in insurance against earthquakes and other natural disasters. Typically, the footings are visible for a distance of two to three inches around the perimeter of the house, creating an appearance not unlike an inverted baseboard. Hidden by overgrown vegetation or plants, footing cracks are easy to overlook.
There is a wide variety of causes for foundation footing cracks, including expansive soil (like porous clays and loams), poor drainage, earthquakes, water leaks, and so on. The most common cause of foundation cracks is poor quality, non-load-bearing soil. It’s estimated that more than half of all houses in the United States were built on top of the clay.
The instability of the water table is the primary problem with loam and clay soil. The soil will either expand or contract depending on the amount of moisture present. This periodic (and usually seasonal) change in volume places strains on building foundations and can cause footing fractures in homes. Foundation settlement is a good illustration of this phenomenon.
Once a foundation has settled, it has sunk further into the ground than it should have. In doing so, you cause cracks in the foundation that spread through your house’s framing. Cracks in the wall or ceiling, stuck doors or windows, uneven floors, and other issues can all be signs of foundation settlement.
Settlement of the foundation must be addressed, but before we get into the nuts and bolts of this underpinning foundation repair, here are a few other potential causes of footing cracks to keep in mind.
When soil isn’t compacted properly, it can lead to cracks in the footing.
It is especially common in new home communities to have poorly compacted soil. It is possible that the foundation will sink and crack in the near future if the soil was not properly compressed down before the foundation was poured. There isn’t enough strength in the ground to support the building. In order to counteract the poor compaction, it may be necessary to install foundation underpinning.
Footing cracks due to plumbing leaks.
Whether it’s a burst water pipe or a sewage overflow, water damage is an inevitable result of plumbing problems. A leak that persists for a long time can cause a lot of trouble. Finding and sealing the source of the leak is necessary before applying epoxy to the cracks (a concrete sealant).
Footing Cracks Caused by Tree Roots
Huge networks of roots help trees take in nutrients and hold them firmly in the ground. They gravitate toward damp areas, such as the ground beneath your house. You risk having your concrete foundation cracked because tree roots can exert a lot of upward pressure.
Because of inadequate drainage, the pavement has developed cracks.
All soils, not just those prone to expansion, benefit from well-designed drainage systems. Over time, standing water can cause severe spalling in your concrete foundation due to corrosion. We recommend installing gutters, french drains, and sloping concrete patios to divert water away from the house and reduce the risk of flooding.
Cracks in the footing can be a result of extremely cold or hot weather.
A foundation’s chemical composition can be damaged by both extremely high and low temperatures. Even mild frost can weaken a building’s framework. There’s no escaping the elements, but epoxy and/or carbon fiber wrap repairs can help with the cracks.
How to Repair Footings with Cracks in the Foundation (Underpinning)
Finding the cause of the crack before attempting to repair it is essential when dealing with foundation footing cracks (or any other kind of crack). Most cases of cracked footings can be traced back to foundation settlement, and the best way to fix that is with underpinning using either push piers or helical piers.
Both the push pier and helical pier systems act as underground stilts for your home, penetrating to load-bearing competent soil or bedrock. Your home’s stability, safety, and potential for full restoration can all benefit from underpinning. After that, cracks in the footing can be wrapped in carbon fiber for repair if necessary.
The Foundation is Inspected at No Cost to You!
You have just read an informative article that explains the most common causes and solutions for cracks in foundation footings.
RLM Retrofit Foundation has serviced and inspected thousands of foundations, all of which have been successfully repaired. Even if you don’t hire us to fix your foundation, we’re happy to share what we’ve learned with the world.
Therefore, if you live in one of our service areas and are perplexed as to the cause of your foundation footing cracks and would like to narrow the list down, you can get a free Foundation Inspection Big Bear Lake.
