Stress Cracks In Concrete Walls

Concrete walls containing horizontal cracks are serious issues.

Stress cracks in concrete walls. Vertical vertical cracks in your concrete block tend to appear as your concrete cures. In any case concrete shrinkage causes the concrete to develop internal stresses. Each type of concrete foundation wall basement slab floor slab or slab on grade crack is discussed and described with photographs below. Since concrete cannot shrink around a corner stress will cause the concrete to crack from the point of that corner.

Plastic shrinkage cracks are typically very narrow in width and barely visible. Concrete block walls can fall victim to a number of different types of cracks. Measure the width of cracks with measuring tape. See details at pyrrhotite inclusion cracking.

Hairline cracks in a concrete slab are rarely a cause for concern. Several masonry patching products such as hydraulic cement do an adequate job of filling cracks in concrete walls. The cracks might indicate a more serious structural problem. While nearly invisible it is important to remember that plastic shrinkage cracks don t just exist on the surface they extend throughout the entire thickness of the slab.

Types of concrete cracks. Call in a structural engineer for an in depth evaluation. Poor concrete mix rapid curing or possibly other states. Horizontal cracks in concrete walls however indicate poor wall designs or pressure buildup behind the wall.

Within a year after construction hairline cracks about the width of a sewing thread commonly appear on the inside of basement walls most often near windows and doors or in the corners of the. The process will bring the particles closer together and create cracks that are often too small to cause any problems. If the crack is simply an aesthetic nuisance you can cover it yourself without worrying about the structure of your home. A crack in a slab of 1 8 inch or less is typically a normal shrinkage crack and not a cause for concern.

Concrete cracks due to inclusions photo above of shale and iron sulfide mineral pyrrhotite cracking. However these products can fail after a few years if your foundation or retaining wall continues to move slightly leaving you with little choice but to chip them out and start all over again. They can be controlled but not eliminated. In areas with expansive soils clayey type soils there is usually more soil and foundation movement than in other areas.