*
Any one with experience determining the best course of action when a 5 month old block foundation has cracks running first through the mortar joint and then through two cement blocks. The builder is waiting for his final payment so we have some leverage? My inlaw had the prior problems with this builder and said she found excellent advice from Breaktime!
Van..”with limited knowledge of cement block walls”
[email protected]
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Skim-coating with joint compound covers texture, renews old drywall and plaster, and leaves smooth surfaces ready to paint.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
*
And the hunt of the elusive crack begins.
The only cracks that would get my attention (unless they are 1/8"+ and tapered from top to bottom or reversed) are the ones that fractured the blocks. (At least that's normally a sign that the mortar is good)
Look for other signs of settling. If your footings were not founded on solid ground, your wall will crack, even if they would have been poured concrete.
If this is the case you will have to have an engineers opinion to give your case the weight, it would need.
*
Dear Gabe,
Thank you for your opinion! The crack begins at the top course at the mortar joint and then travels nearly straight down toward the next block, cracking it through, then through the next mortar joint, etc. for six courses. The crack is about a 1/16 " width. Are you saying that this is a major problem that can not be corrected by patching? The wall with crack is only 8 feet long. It ties into a 33' wall at one end and a 42' wall. Both long walls run parallel.
Thanks again for your help.
van
*
The crack can be easily sealed with an epoxy injection. That's rarely the problem, only the solution or repair.
What I always look at is the crack itself and what caused it. If for no other reason than to learn from it.
Is the wall in question, an exterior wall? In other words do you have to be concerned about water infiltration?
You also said the wall was tied into two longer ones.
How is it tied, is it interlocked or just butted against.
If it were interlocked, I would then check to see if one of the other wall was moving or shifting.
Just curious to know.
*Since you are close to ended your relationship with the builder, invest in a professional evaluation ($100? $200). You'll sleep better if they just shrug and say "fine." Cracks appearing so quickly would make me very uneasy about the condition of the fill. Maybe water will come pouring through next. And your best chance to get money from the builder is NOW.
*
Yes the wall is interlocked to the first perpendicular wall. The wall in question is an exterior wall. I can not find any other cracks in the rest of the basement walls. If you can picture a straightened "Z" configuration , the vertical line of the "Z" is the 8' wall section, e.g. it looks like this, -l_ if you connect the spaces between the symbols.
Thanks!
*
V:
What are the soil conditions around the foundation, where are you located, and how is the drainage, and how tall is the wall? Is the crack near the midpoint of the wall?
Dave
*Dear Van Mehlos,Look for another crack or a pair of smaller ones.As a rule of thumb, if you have only one crack it's normally only possible with shrinkage, to have settling as the culprit, you normally need two or more cracks.You have to picture a picture frame construction, for you to flex one side the other must flex the opposite.Now this doesn't mean that it's impossible to have a single stress crack and multiple shrinkage cracks, it's just that the average will lean this way.regardless, do have an independant come in for an opinion, it will put your mind at ease and if required, give you the information in order to proceed with A. a remedy/repair or B. a claim against the builder.
*
Depending on the location, concrete block these days are generally so green, that they are going to be laid well before they are cured completely. And when you see them cracking straight down the block this is GENERALLY the case. My block man, a commercial man by trade,I'm sure would rather put control joints in every 20'but I just won't let him.
When are you guys going to quit selling your fellow contractors down the river everytime a unsatisfied homeowner comes here for advice on whether to holdback final payment, sue or whatever.Just ignore it, there are local sharks for him to consult.KC
*
KC,
The quick answer is that not every client is out to get anyone, not every contractor deserves a licence, not every lawyer is a shark. Every story has two sides to it. Let's give them all the benefit of a doubt.
*To add my pence worth; the crack cause is really hard to diagnose without seeing it. So find an engineer who is competent in foundations and is willing to give a clear, written opinion. Then use that opinion either to satisfy yourself or to ask the builder to fix the problem.I, and everyone else, has assumed you didn't have anything to do with design, materials selection, or construction. But experience has taught me that may not be the case. If you did participate in making the problem then you will need to participate in the fix.I know very few contractors who wouldn't fix a problem once it was brought to their attention. But, if it is his problem and if you have one of the few you may have to decide if the cost of the fix is worth the aggravation of legal action. Most times it isn't.
*
Dave-
Thanks for the reply. The soil is all sand. House is in north central MN. The wall is 8 1/2 feet tall. The crack begins at two blocks in from the interior side corner. Is it from green blocks or is it a poor poured footing???
Van
*Fred-I like your suggestion to find an engineer to diagnose the cause. I appreciate it! BTW, I had no say in design, materials... other than to use block vs. poured, and methods. Wish I would have specified over built with extra rebar, compression strength of the poured mix, etc..then again, it could be a poor soil condition?Van.
*Gabe,Thanks for the clues. I'll check tonight for any "hidden "cracks I may have missed. BTW..this wall had a soaked fiberglass insulation above it in the cavity between the tji floor joist for several months, 'till I discovered this. The builder had not covered the sub floor before walls were framed and there had been 2 inches of snow on it, then it melted and soaked the insulation below. The box sill spaces now have sprayed in foam and all of the fiberglass was removed from these areas.
*Van Mehlos:I would be more concerned if your crack were in a long wall and was running diagonal. The fact that crack is running vertical, through mortar joint then through block, leads me to conclusion that crack is the result of not having a control joint. The purpose of control joints in masonry is to induce vertical cracking atb prescribedlocations and are generally located at regular horizontal intervals, at wall height changes, at wall intersections and changes in wall thickness.As an engineer, it is impossible to tell exactly what caused your crack without inspection, so to feel comfortable and prevent future problems have it looked at by a i competent engineer, mason or construction inspector.
*Fred, Thank you for your professionalism. I noticed there is a floor,thin stress(?) crack running from the wall of question. It runs out toward the center of the floor. I couldn't find any control joints in this 8'ft wall. Up here in northern MN we have few resourses in the vacinity. I haven't been able to locate a structural engineer to come out for an opinion. The "green" block theory is probably out? A soft ground base is the problem, most likely?Thanks again! Van
*
Any one with experience determining the best course of action when a 5 month old block foundation has cracks running first through the mortar joint and then through two cement blocks. The builder is waiting for his final payment so we have some leverage? My inlaw had the prior problems with this builder and said she found excellent advice from Breaktime!
Van.."with limited knowledge of cement block walls"
http://[email protected]