A1 Foundation Crack Repair Blog

If you are a have bought a new home, call A-1 Foundation Crack Repair for a foundation inspection.  You don’t want to find water in your basement and then realize that it could have been prevented.  If you see cracks in the basement floor or walls of a home you are buying or selling, call a crack repair specialist.

 IF there are cracks in your cement floor or foundation walls, we can determine the underlying and the related defects and fix them. Why have stress every time it rains?

Believe it or not, concrete cracks or cracks in masonry, brickwork,  or plaster are not uncommon and can be found in many homes. And most of the time, these repairs can be made without the need for expensive foundation repair work.

Because there are often cracks in foundations, only a specialist can tell you if your crack needs to be fixed before more structural and water damage develops. Contact A-1 Foundation Crack Repair for assistance and an inspection.

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A leaky basement is a very undesirable situation. Quite often water penetrates your homes foundation. So it is urgent to address this dilemma ASAP. The source of your water leak needs to be repaired to preserve your homes foundation and to prevent serious structural damage to it. Nonetheless, even minor trickles should not be ignored as they can turn into nightmares.

You need to pay attention to where the leak originates. Even though a vast majority of basements are compromised with water infiltration causing damage, the leakage is in fact, concealed. While some of the leaks are hard to detect because they are underground, here are some of the more obvious causes: heavy rainfall, melting ice, gutters and downspouts with leaves and debris. Your gutters may need replaced and are actually directing water toward your house instead of away from it, reverse grading, tree roots, your property naturally slopes down toward your house. But, whatever the reason, you need to restore any loss of structural integrity. Once that is done, you must take all precautions to permanently prevent reoccurrence.

Water leaks can do more than just cause leaky basements. You should protect your personal property from dampness and mildew. Wood can rot causes your wood structures to bow and bend. Paneling can warp or buckle. Albert Einstein once said "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" so take that advice the next time you see any kind of leak in your basement. Be sure to contact us today to learn more about your home's foundation and how we can put the A-1 method to use for you.

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Controlling water around your home's foundation is important. Water control is the single most important factor in ensuring a dry basement. Water control helps prevent problems, even if your home has a slab foundation or a crawl space foundation. This also accounts for business too. Foundation in a commercial building is the same as any home, and even though there is no basement, securing the outside is important.

Improper water control around your home's foundation causes many problems. Water can damage foundations by exerting pressure on the foundation (hydrostatic pressure). Water can also damage foundations by causing unstable clay soils to exert pressure by swelling or by causing these soils to contract and remove support from under the foundation. Other problems caused by improper water control include damaging construction materials and providing moisture for mold and termites.

Direct foundation damage from water usually involves cracks and/or bulges in foundation walls and footings. This can in turn cause uplift or settling of framing materials that can cause problems such as uneven floors, cracks in interior and exterior wall coverings, and doors and windows that do not operate properly. In extreme cases, water damage can cause structural failure. Indirect water damage includes damage to wood and other construction materials caused by liquid water infiltration and by water vapor that condenses in cool areas such as in basements and in crawl spaces. Many species of termites and all species of mold need moisture to survive. Controlling water around your home will reduce the chance of termite infestation and mold infestation.

Controlling water around your home's foundation is simple and inexpensive compared to repairing foundation damage and wet basements. Examine your water control measures at least every year as part of your regular home maintenance. Doing so will help prevent serious problems. If you are not familiar with checking your home's foundation contact us today and we'll be happy to inspect your home for you to ensure no leaks are present.

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Symptoms of failing foundation walls in a home look different depending whether they are constructed of concrete block or poured concrete. Concrete block walls typically display horizontal cracking across the center length as it begins to bow inward near mid-height. As the problem worsens, stair-step cracking at the corners can be observed. Continued inward pressure exerted on the concrete block wall can also result in horizontal shearing at a mortar joint, where the bottom row of block is held in place by the concrete floor slab as the next course of block and wall above slides in.

Vertical shearing may also be observed when the end of a wall is supported or held in place by an adjoining perpendicular wall. The end of the wall remains stable as the rest of the wall cracks and moves inward. Poured concrete walls will typically display single, diagonal cracks extending upward from the bottom corners of the wall toward the top center. Further, unlike a block wall that bows in near mid-height, the top of a poured wall tends to lean in. In finished basements, where foundation walls may not be exposed, other signs may alert you to a structural problem. As failing basement walls move inward, ceiling panels and ceiling drywall may begin to buckle.

Drywall on finished, abutting walls can also buckle between the wall studs. In extreme cases, horizontal cracking may even be seen in the home's exterior brick veneer. As you can tell, foundation cracks are no mere small problem. They can result in serious damage to your homes structure, which is why its best to have the professionals at A-1 come in and inspect your home and do any foundation repairs you may need. Contact us today for more information.

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When do most homeowners find out that their sump pump has failed? When it is too late! It is raining cats and dogs, rain water is contributing to the ground water and the water table is rising quickly. As the ground water level reaches the float activation set point. Regularly the sump pump will kick on and keep the water level below the basement slab, thereby alleviating the hydrostatic pressure below the basement floor.

Sadly, many homeowners find out the hard way that their sump pump is not working properly. The water table rises beyond a controllable level and hydrostatic pressure begins forcing water through floor cracks and floor/wall joints. The outcome is increased moisture levels inside the basement, which can lead to poor indoor air quality conditions, and in severe cases can lead to standing water filling up inside the basement causing havoc and misery.

The most important thing homeowners with basement waterproofing systems (sump pumps, basement drainage, etc.) can do is complete regular factory recommended maintenance. Regular maintenance should include removal of debris and obstructions from the sump liner and any cleaning of filters or screens that are attached to the sump pump. It is recommended that drains and sump pump systems are flushed with hot water regularly. This ensures that any debris or iron bacteria colonies do not build up and become obstructions to the flow of water. Do not run any type of hazardous cleaning chemicals (bleach, ammonia, detergents, etc.) through any drain or sump pump systems.

A-1 is a fully registered home improvement contractor. Contact us today to talk to a knowledgeable, master waterproofing professional should you have any leaking problems and we'll be happy to help.

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Sometimes its hard to know when you need to waterproof your basement. Yes its true, some people go down into their basement, see that it is fine and go about their merry business but what they don’t realize is that basement mold and water damage accumulates silently and then spreads like wildfire and it becomes a hassle to get rid of. So when you first move into your new home make sure you check the waterproofing of your basement. Then below are two popular times to waterproof your basement once again.

Before the rainy season

A wet basement is easy to ignore during dry weather. But when a major storm hits, the amount of water that comes in can be hard to predict. Homeowners that previously only had a small leak once or twice a year can be shocked and disappointed to find that their basement has several inches-even feet- of water seemingly out of the blue. How serious a basement flood can be is sometimes hard to tell, and unless the investment is made in a basement waterproofing system, the risk of such a flood is always present. If you know stormy weather is ahead, then it's a great idea to deal with the problem before it gets out of hand.

Before selling the home

If you're looking to sell your home, a wet basement can be a deal breaker. Home buyers are not looking to purchase someone else's problem, and if they find out that the basement floods, they will often back out of the deal. Home inspectors are trained to find the signs of wet basements, and they will make finding these signs a top priority.

In fact, 10% of the home's market value is lost with a wet basement. And because buyers will be reluctant to buy the home even at a discount, it will take much longer to sell it. In the end, fixing the basement properly with a sump pump and perimeter waterproofing system is a fast process and it restores a great deal of value to your home.

Even if you are not planning on selling your home or it hasn’t rained in a while, it might be a good idea to check out your basement anyway and if you see any signs of leaks or water damage contact the professionals and let us apply our A-1 method to your home for a clean and quality look.

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Hurricane season is upon us and we certainly will get our share of heavy rain and tropical storms over the next month or so.  Do you remember the heavy rains in March and April of this year (2010)?  Unfortunately many of us experienced flooded basements.  At A-1 Foundation Crack Repair we are always busy with repairing basement cracks and leaks but a lot of people wait until their basement is flooded before they decide to take action.  At that point, the costs associated with all of the damage (rugs, carpets, walls, goods, etc)  is very high.  With Hurricane season upon now is a good time to get your basement and your foundation inspected for cracks and leaks.  Let us help you save money in the long run by getting a basement inspection today.

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