Usually Normal: Minor Settling
- Thin, hairline vertical cracks in a poured basement wall that stay the same width
- Small shrinkage cracks in a basement floor or garage slab
- A few hairline drywall cracks in a newer house during its first years
These are common as concrete cures and a house adjusts to its site. They are still worth watching, and a crack that lets water in should be sealed.
Signs of Foundation Problems to Have Inspected
- A horizontal crack in a basement wall, or a wall that bows or leans inward
- Stair-step cracks in block walls or exterior brick
- Cracks that grow longer or wider over weeks or months
- Cracks where one side sits higher than the other, or that are wider at one end
- Doors and windows that suddenly stick, swing on their own or no longer latch
- Floors that slope toward one side of the house
- Gaps between walls and ceilings, around trim, or between the chimney and the house
- Water coming through a wall crack every time it rains
Cracks in a Slab Foundation: When to Worry
Thin cracks in a concrete slab are common and usually come from shrinkage. Worry more when a slab crack is wide enough to catch a coin, when one side is higher than the other, when it keeps widening, or when it lines up with cracks in the walls and sticking doors above. Those point to soil movement under the slab rather than normal shrinkage.
Foundation Settling Versus Active Movement
A house that settled years ago and stopped may only need cosmetic repair. A house that is still moving needs the cause fixed. Around Fort Wayne, clay soil that swells when wet and shrinks when dry can make cracks open and close with the seasons, so one look is not always enough.
- Mark both ends of each crack with a pencil and write the date.
- Measure the width at a marked spot with a ruler or a crack gauge.
- Take a photo with a ruler or coin for scale.
- Check again every few weeks, and after a wet spring and a dry late summer.
Bring those notes and photos to the inspection. They help a contractor or engineer see what is changing.
What to Do Next
- Fix easy water problems now: clean gutters, extend downspouts and slope soil away from the house.
- Do not patch over a crack you want inspected. The pattern is evidence.
- For a wall that is bowing or a house that is clearly moving, get an inspection soon. Repairs usually grow with the damage.
Learn about foundation crack and wall repair, piers and house leveling and basement waterproofing in Fort Wayne.