Please let me know what you think. The builder says that it is a shrinkage crack. The crack only goes for about a foot and later becomes a hairline crack.
Originally Posted By: cmccann This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
My problem would be with water penetration. Being from the North, water will penetrate freeze and expand the crack over time. My advice would to have the crack repaired while it’s still easily accessible. Also not sure about wood destroying insects in your area, but that is an open door policy you got going on. Termites will use the crack to conceal themselves and go right into the sill plate. Also if that’s a wood former left in the ground that’s just baiting them to your home.
Originally Posted By: dspencer This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
A crack of that size in a Poured wall foundation is rarely a concern. Image of other side, crack location? If near a corner is diagonally there another crack? Usually takes more than one location for a poured wall to have a structural concern. Recommend and epoxy seal.
Originally Posted By: Mark Anderson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Darren,
rarely a concern...in what way? House was just recently built! Are you saying this poster-homeowner should have little concern/if any? If they backfilled like most builders usually do, who`s to say more movement will not follow within 2 years? Lets hope not. And you recommend an epoxy seal? Well, according to "Suredry Basements"...who has evidently done epoxy-urethane injections for years, they state "But WE have found over time that urethane shrinks and the crack leaks again"...and"epoxy and urethane injections are UNreliable".
I mean.....these guys actually say 1 thing..."injections give a COMPLETE seal throughout the entire crack"......then they say the complete Opposite!!"we have found over time they leak again......and are unreliable"....well, Which is it?? And of course all of a sudden they have come up with a NEW Breakthrough Method! What a JOKE!
This is why i started posting here...to inform. Too many homeowners have gotten screwed. Recommendations ...sorry...from those who dont do-guarantee the work, like Mr Haege. Look...after reading many HI`s posts, YES....most of you DO indeed seem to care & are honest and Know alotta shtt, on many home matters! Yup..i`d tell folks after hangin` around here fer a TAD that homeowners would be Wise to put you to work and have you inspect their home(makes ya feel warm `n toasty all over to have my recommendation). I`ll post some Pics of basements `n waterproofing for ya fairly soon, then maybe we can get on same page. Ok...fire away, i know David `n some others LOVE to take their shallow shots.
Originally Posted By: mkober This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
The crack appears significant enough to warrant repair, but properly as opposed to cosmetically. Injection from the interior with a medium-modulus epoxy after sealing the exterior would be a logical course of action, although convincing your builder to have it done may not be easy. It does not appear to be a shrinkage crack, which almost always appear as very fine (around 0.020" wide or less), and usually show up more randomly and numerous. I would suspect something more site-specific, such as missing top horizontal reinforcing steel or having been subject to a blunt force during form-stripping, backfilling or whatever.
As an aside, the 2 x sill plate does not appear to be treated lumber (as required by most codes), but rather looks to be a piece of previously-used form lumber, with hardened concrete/mortar still attached. Also, no evidence of a sill sealer, either.
Originally Posted By: Tony Sohal This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi Michael,
The foundations were poured in December, the backfilling was done in the first week of February and the framing was completed by the end of February. The adjacent lot was dug on March 14th and the crack appeared on March 15th. Do you think that the movement of heavy machinery or soil movement might have caused this. The builder says that they will take care of this crack. My only worry is if this is going to affect the structure of the house at all??
Originally Posted By: Mark Anderson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Tony,
Find out by which means he is going to fix.. You`d rather not have any more equipment near that wall/your house. So if he is going to fix from outside it would be best to "hand-dig",seal correctly and backfill w/pea stone,have them leave the Tonka trucks `n backhoe elsewhere. He wont like the hand-dig idea. 
From out here in left field...i will guess it cracked because of the equipment and maybe a combination of the equipment and the soil compacting-settling. And looking ahead a tad, if they are still going to be in 'the neighborhood' for awhile, maybe in this situation you should give it a wait `n see approach, more pressure from equipment `n settling of soil could pop that crack open a bit more.....time will tell.
Originally Posted By: David Randall This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Tony,
From what I can tell by your photos, it looks like this crack occurs not only at a tee (where there is at least a jog-out for the I-beam support column), but it also looks as though this is a point where you have a floor-height change, and likely a step in the footing height; is this right? That can also contribute to a crack of this nature.
Also need to verify just where this is in relation to the outside overall photos you provide. I'm guessing it's about where the full-height Tyvek line is (trying to spot that bath/dryer duct outlet point, having seen the duct from the inside shot)
Personally, If the crack is at a footing offset, I'd have even more concern over future movement. If not, I'd feel pretty comfortable with a well-done epoxy injection. When done correctly an epoxy injection is extremely strong, and does prevent water infiltration on it's own. However, as your footings are still close to exposed, I'd have them do an exterior waterproofing coat over that area in addition.
But first, sure would like to know about those questions.
P.S. Geez....those 2 houses behind....those can't be but about 6 feet apart!?! Even if that were my detached garage I'd want a heckuva lot more room than that between them!
Originally Posted By: Tony Sohal This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi David,
Thanks for the response. Everybody on this board has been a great help.
As far as your estimation about the location....yes you are absolutely correct. The crack is just beside the tee (where there is at least a jog-out for the I-beam support column). It actually does not go all the way down to the footing but stops about a foot or more above it. There is no step in the footings and it does become a fine hairline crack after about a foot from the top.
The thing is that my lot was already backfilled and later they dug up the adjacent lot...that is when the crack showed up. from the outside it is about 10 feet from the gas connection (towards the left of the picture). You can see a pile of wood lying there.
The builder has agreed to fix everything properly. He also told me that cracks do happen at the I-Beam joint. I am more worried if this is going to be a structural issue in future. As far as you comment about the closeness of the homes....that is the new way they are building in Canada to reduce "urban sprawl". I agree with you though...they are too tight.
Originally Posted By: David Randall This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Well, Tony, with homes parked that closely I guess you’ll have a really “friendly” relationship with neighbors.
There's another concern here, too, which will help determine how much of a future problem this crack might be; there's basically never just one crack. There should be at least one more, and it's location helps to know just what has occurred.
It's likely to be on a perpendicular wall (particularly towards the front of the home), or possibly opposite wall in almost the same place. (This may mean it's on the wall dividing the garage from interior, or along the entryway) Check carefully for this crack's mate. If there definitely isn't a second crack, then the cause would likely be curing shrinkage.
Originally Posted By: Tony Sohal This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi Dave,
Yes, wish me good luck with my neighbours. You are right. Houses are TOOOOOOO close.
By the way....I DID check the walls that you have mentioned. There are no cracks in those areas at all. I am going to the site again today and will check. The only crack is this one. It does become into a hairline crack after about a foot and does not reach down to the footings. It stops about a foot above the footing. I will let you know.
Originally Posted By: David Randall This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Greetings Tony,
I was certain you had checked for more already (who wouldn't after finding the first one!), but always good to double check, especially if you can be given a hint as to where #2 is likely to be.
While Mark may have some disagreement with me on this, my personal "long-distance" take on the situation is as follows:
Provided no companion crack is discovered, I would feel comfortable with a good epoxy injection, with a waterproofing coat to just below grade added as a precaution. The epoxy will get an especially good grip on the crack being new material that hasn't accumulated years of dirt & dust in the void.
When doing the epoxy, since the outside is also exposed, the will first cover the crack with an epoxy layer (to keep the more liquid epoxy injection from oozing out), and that should be a grey color material which won't show as bad above grade as the black tar waterproofing. Personally in this instance, I would not do a pea-gravel backfill in this area, as I feel this could tend to retain standing water against the foundation & footing without addition of a sump pump.
Originally Posted By: Tony Sohal This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Thanks Darren,
I am in the process of talking to the construction manager. I have one question though. Can this crack effect the structural integrity of the house in future???
Originally Posted By: David Randall This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Can this crack effect the structural integrity of the house in future? Yes, it’s possible, but taking the proper steps now can reduce that factor to almost nil.
If it is a shrinkage crack, with no companion crack discovered, the crack only becomes a contributing factor if other points in the foundation begin to fail. If the crack is repaired with an epoxy injection and other points begin to fail, it's almost as likely the foundation would crack at a new point vs. opening/shifting at this crack.
A single crack in a foundation wall on a stable footing is more of a water infiltration concern, where a crack in a foundation wall with an unstable footer becomes more of a structural issue.
Were this a basement wall, I'd have stronger concerns & the repair would be more extensive.
