Settlement Cracks In Concrete Walls

Cracks in external and internal walls of load bearing structures.

Settlement cracks in concrete walls.

If a vertical crack widens at the top or bottom the wall is either settling or gradually heaving which may present serious issues. In the majority of cases small hairline cracks in walls ceilings and plaster can be a sign of simple expansion and contraction movement within your home due to humidity temperature and the way that 100 different materials in your home react to this all expanding and. Stair step cracks may also signify heaving. How to determine if the cracks in walls are serious.

The cracks may be straight or toothed. There can be a huge number of different reasons for cracks in the home. Vertical cracks in walls built with concrete blocks or sand lime bricks. There s no exact method for determining how serious a wall crack is without hiring an expert to examine the wall but you might be able to.

A settlement crack may also appear as a random crack above areas where the soil of the subgrade was uneven after the concrete was poured. Cracks generally occur at weak sections i e at midpoints or at regular intervals in long stretches. Horizontal cracks in concrete walls however indicate poor wall designs or pressure buildup behind the wall. Settlement cracks are usually more extensive at the top of the crack than the bottom as the foundation bends over a single point allowing differential settlement.