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Wet Basement Repair Advice: What Causes a Foundation to Crack?

wet basement repair torontoNo homeowner ever expects to discover cracks in their foundation walls. After all they’re concrete. They’re supposed to stand up to anything. The unfortunate truth however is that foundation wall cracks do happen and can have a catastrophic effect on your home’s structural stability and value if you don’t institute prompt wet basement repair. But just how do foundation walls crack in the first place? What forces would be strong enough to do such a thing? In this post we’re going to take a look at some of the conditions that can lead to cracks in basement walls.

Wet Basement Repair and the Cracks That Make it Necessary

People aren’t typically aware their foundation walls have developed cracks until the day they go into their Toronto basement and notice a strong musty odour. A closer inspection will typically reveal mold along with the offending cracks through which water is seeping. “How did this happen?” is the most asked question on these occasions and below we’ll go into a few causes.

  • Saturated Soil Under the House – If the soil beneath the foundation footing is oversaturated due to a period of heavy rain it may compress. The footing may then settle in an uneven fashion causing cracks to appear in the foundation walls that require wet basement repair.
  • Concrete Contraction – Poured concrete contains a lot of water. As it sets the water in it evaporates and the concrete contracts. If the initial mixture wasn’t just right that contraction may be more than anticipated and the foundation walls may crack.
  • Drought Conditions – Just as too much groundwater can cause problems not enough water in the soil can too. Like concrete soil contracts when it dries. When it does it removes external support from the foundation walls causing them to push outward. This outward ‘bowing’ of the walls can generate major cracks.
  • Placing Stress on the Foundation Walls – Whenever someone drills through the foundation walls to install something or effect repairs they’re creating weak spots. These weak spots cause the distribution of weight within the walls to shift. With weight now unevenly distributed it’s not unusual for cracks to appear and radiate outward from the hole.
  • Contractor Error – On occasion the builder will run out of concrete before the foundation pour is complete. By the time they get more concrete to the site the first part of the pour has begun to set. Anything poured in on top of the partially set first pour will not bind with it. The place where the two separate pours meet then becomes a crack water will exploit.

Cracks in your foundation walls are a serious matter that require prompt attention. Failing to address cracked foundation walls can lead to the undermining of your home’s structural integrity and a significant loss in value. If your foundation walls have developed cracks call the professionals at New Canadian Drain, Toronto. We’ll assess the situation quickly and accurately and propose appropriate wet basement repair methods that will have your home back to normal in no time.