The Wrong Views
Phoenix House Foundation cracks elicit two extreme views: that of the unperturbed and that of the paranoid. Neither is reasonable and advisable.
The nonchalant who sees cracks in his foundation walls would tend to underrate them, resulting to worse structural damage and greater danger to his safety. On the other hand, the anxious one who sees the same will probably blow things out of proportion instantaneously, resulting to unnecessary and costly crack repair expenses.
Although the topic of foundation cracks seem grim and serious, one need not worry if he has the proper knowledge on the subject. This article seeks to educate the unaware and the overly aware.
Hatching Eggs and Cracking Walls
A metaphor is helpful in illustrating how a foundation cracks. Imagine a chicken’s egg about to hatch. The egg shell will be the foundation wall while the chick will be the soil.
On the day of its hatching, the egg shell will crack – one tiny poke at first, creating the smallest hole as the chick pushes against its shell. With every push, slowly, the cracks grow in number, interweaving and forming a larger hole. Eventually, the chick’s beak peeps out then perhaps an eye, then the wing. Slowly, but surely, the chick breaks its shell into pieces, until it is finally able to crawl out into the wide world completely. It is a rather cute and heartwarming sight to behold.
Unfortunately, if the cracks happen to one’s home foundation, the scene is not that cute or lovable anymore. A crack repair solution may have to be called for.
Built-up pressure
The pressure takes a long time to build up. The chick takes about three weeks before it acquires the strength to push its shell off and into pieces. For houses, the pressure coming from the soil takes a long time – tens of years – to overcome the façade of a strong foundation wall.
The pressure depends on the forces going on in the soil. Natural geologic interactions between ice, heat and water cause contractions and expansions in the soil. These, in turn, cause force to be applied against the foundation wall. The cycles happen endlessly, and the foundation wall is left to stand strong against it all.
Cracks
Wear and tear will manifest itself eventually, and one of the signs is a crack, but does not need to get worried easily. Hairline cracks are generally okay and do not require a crack repair. However, there are serious cracks. Horizontal cracks, cracks running the entire length of the foundation wall from the basement floor up, and cracks around corners of the house, are serious ones. These are telltale signs that the soil surrounding the foundation applies extreme forces against the foundation wall and tries to take the entire structure with it.
Definitely, in these circumstances, a crack repair is immediately required to fortify the foundation walls. Also, if there are bulging areas on the concrete foundation wall, or its metal poles are no longer aligned, professional foundation repair assistance should be sought.
Reminder
One should be wary of the cracks in his house, but not too much. Having the proper knowledge certainly helps, as it will tell him when to ask for professional crack repair services. Also, the earlier problems are identified and addressed, the safer one will be.