Vertical Cracks in Foundation Near garage

gerardswork · 08-04-2012, 07:56 PM

A few cracks in my foundation (garage side holding up garage and second floor) have been bothering me lately and thought I'd get some opinions out there before I call someone.

1) Two visible cracks approximately 100 inches apart.
2) Widest crack is less than an 1/8th of an inch.
3) I think they are getting more noticeable, but perhaps it's my paranoia.

4) I also included a picture of a crack in my foundation near chimney. (it's on the same side as the other two cracks, but doesn't really bother me as when I bought the home the inspector said it was nothing to be worried about.

Any professional opinions or advice?

Thanks for your time.

Gerard

joecaption · 08-04-2012, 08:12 PM

Looks like normal settling to me. Do not try to fill it, but just take a look at it again in a year to see it's getting worst.
Looks like someone tryed to use caulking on one of the cracks, all that does is make it stick out more.

Daniel Holzman · 08-04-2012, 09:34 PM

If you want to measure the movement of a crack, there is a very inexpensive plastic device called a crackmeter that you epoxy in place across the crack, and you can read the width of the crack quite accurately. They are available over the internet, and possibly at some of the larger hardware stores. They cost less than $10, and are much more accurate than trying to measure with a micrometer. Those cracks look pretty innocuous right now, but the key question is whether they are getting larger, and how fast, and the best way to answer this question is to install a few crackmeters, measure them every month, and keep a log. After a year or so, an engineer can interpret the results if you are concerned.

SPS-1 · 08-04-2012, 10:26 PM

If you have a basement on the other side of that wall, you should worry about water entering. If its just holding up your garage, don't worry so much.

gerardswork · 08-05-2012, 12:16 AM

Thanks for the quick posts. There is no basement on the other side, just the garage...which the crack does not go through. I'll purchase on of those crack meters and see if it's just me or if it is expanding. Thanks all.

08-04-2012, 07:56 PM	#1
gerardswork Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 53	Vertical Cracks in Foundation Near garage A few cracks in my foundation (garage side holding up garage and second floor) have been bothering me lately and thought I'd get some opinions out there before I call someone. 1) Two visible cracks approximately 100 inches apart. 2) Widest crack is less than an 1/8th of an inch. 3) I think they are getting more noticeable, but perhaps it's my paranoia. 4) I also included a picture of a crack in my foundation near chimney. (it's on the same side as the other two cracks, but doesn't really bother me as when I bought the home the inspector said it was nothing to be worried about. Any professional opinions or advice? Thanks for your time. Gerard Attached Thumbnails

08-04-2012, 08:12 PM	#2
joecaption Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Hartfield VA Posts: 18,830	Vertical Cracks in Foundation Near garage Looks like normal settling to me. Do not try to fill it, but just take a look at it again in a year to see it's getting worst. Looks like someone tryed to use caulking on one of the cracks, all that does is make it stick out more.

08-04-2012, 09:34 PM	#3
Daniel Holzman Civil Engineer Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Boston Posts: 3,583	Vertical Cracks in Foundation Near garage If you want to measure the movement of a crack, there is a very inexpensive plastic device called a crackmeter that you epoxy in place across the crack, and you can read the width of the crack quite accurately. They are available over the internet, and possibly at some of the larger hardware stores. They cost less than $10, and are much more accurate than trying to measure with a micrometer. Those cracks look pretty innocuous right now, but the key question is whether they are getting larger, and how fast, and the best way to answer this question is to install a few crackmeters, measure them every month, and keep a log. After a year or so, an engineer can interpret the results if you are concerned.

08-04-2012, 10:26 PM	#4
SPS-1 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ontario Posts: 453	Vertical Cracks in Foundation Near garage If you have a basement on the other side of that wall, you should worry about water entering. If its just holding up your garage, don't worry so much.

08-05-2012, 12:16 AM	#5
gerardswork Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 53	Vertical Cracks in Foundation Near garage Thanks for the quick posts. There is no basement on the other side, just the garage...which the crack does not go through. I'll purchase on of those crack meters and see if it's just me or if it is expanding. Thanks all.

Vertical Cracks in Foundation Near garage