Stress Cracks In Concrete Walls

Vertical vertical cracks in your concrete block tend to appear as your concrete cures.

Stress cracks in concrete walls.

The process will bring the particles closer together and create cracks that are often too small to cause any problems. 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. If the crack is simply an aesthetic nuisance you can cover it yourself without worrying about the structure of your home. Hairline cracks in a concrete slab are rarely a cause for concern.

Poor concrete mix rapid curing or possibly other states. Measure the width of cracks with measuring tape. A crack in a slab of 1 8 inch or less is typically a normal shrinkage crack and not a cause for concern. 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.

Cracks less than 1 8 inch wide are likely stress cracks while larger ones are often more serious. Each type of concrete foundation wall basement slab floor slab or slab on grade crack is discussed and described with photographs below. In any case concrete shrinkage causes the concrete to develop internal stresses. See details at pyrrhotite inclusion cracking.

98 of the homes in the united states have foundations constructed out of concrete masonry blocks or brick all of which tend to crack when there is movement and excessive stress. Types of concrete cracks. Concrete cracks due to inclusions photo above of shale and iron sulfide mineral pyrrhotite cracking. Horizontal cracks in concrete walls however indicate poor wall designs or pressure buildup behind the wall.

The cracks might indicate a more serious structural problem. In areas with expansive soils clayey type soils there is usually more soil and foundation movement than in other areas. Plastic shrinkage cracks are typically very narrow in width and barely visible. They can be controlled but not eliminated.

Concrete walls containing horizontal cracks are serious issues. Concrete block walls can fall victim to a number of different types of cracks. In poured concrete foundations shrinkage cracks are usually due to conditions at original construction. Since concrete cannot shrink around a corner stress will cause the concrete to crack from the point of that corner.