Do Basement Floor Cracks Cause Issues in Other Parts of the Home?

A crack in your basement floor not only harms your waterproofing measures, should you have any. It may also indicate that there is structural damage to the foundation of the home. When there is structural damage, this will manifest as issues throughout the rest of your home, not just the basement. 

• Wall Cracks 

If the cracks in the basement floor are linked to structural damage, then your walls are about to suffer next. After all, they rely on the foundation, the floor, and their supports to keep them fixed in place. If one or more of these factors deteriorate, they will be exposed to a lot of pressure. This will cause hairline cracks or large fissures to stretch across the walls. 

The cracks in the wall will usually start at the edges and corners before spreading across other areas. Wall cracks are often an indicator that the wall itself is either bowing or tilting. If there are wall cracks that run simultaneously with the floor crack, you should have this checked by an expert immediately. 

• Uneven Floor 

Uneven floors don’t always cause basement cracks. However, the same factors that lead to cracks may also lead to your floor becoming uneven. For example, a sunken foundation, bowing foundation wall, or tree roots may have caused the concrete to break. While it does, it may also push the slabs up, creating an uneven basement floor. This unusually manifests well toward the center of the room. 

All these issues must be corrected immediately. Not only is an uneven floor dangerous, just like floor cracks, but it indicates a bigger issue is at hand.  An uneven floor can be repaired by a foundation pier system, which is installed deep underground to take advantage of the more stable soil. These systems effectively stabilize the foundation of the home and help eliminate any issues in the future. A perfect foundation will also add value to your home.