How Can Cracks Impact Your Foundation?

Cracks are almost often signs of foundational damage. Even the shape of a particular crack you find may have different impacts on your foundation. 

• Horizontal Cracks and Diagonal Cracks 

Your wall may suffer from horizontal cracks if the exterior or internal supports have come into contact with higher-than-average humidity or floods. Excess water pressure can also cause horizontal cracks to sprout along your basement walls as well. 

Diagonal cracks tend to form for much the same reason horizontal cracks do. However, these cracks will be larger on one side than the other, indicating that unwanted moisture may be having a greater influence on one part of your home. 

• Vertical Cracks and Stair-Step Cracks 

Vertical wall cracks tend to indicate that something may be wrong with your foundation. Vertical cracks are also referred to as shrinkage cracks due to the fact that the most common cause of these cracks is concrete shrinkage. 

Stair-step cracks tend to form in brick and mortar walls. You’ll be able to track these cracks by following your mortar lines. Again, these cracks tend to appear around your home when moisture has made itself present in your wall’s molding or other supports.