A1 Foundation Crack Repair Blog

If basement water problems can be solved, you can gain some valuable storage or living space.  There are two ways to go about approaching water issues. The first is to address the leak from the outside of the foundation and the second is to deal with the problem from the inside. From both directions, there are waterproofing techniques designed to seal water out, and others that are designed to divert water from the foundation.

Waterproofing techniques and supplies that are generally used by do-it-yourselfers to seal water out of the basement include spray on sealants, membranes, and injection expanding epoxy waterproofing supplies designed to fill and seal cracks in solid concrete foundation walls. These are some of the least reliable methods of keeping water out because over time, they all succumb deteriorate.

There are also waterproofing supplies and techniques for diverting water on the exterior of the home. Dirt fill can be used along foundation to make the ground slope away from the house. This allows for water to runoff away from the home.

Regardless of the method you choose, exterior repair work is messy and expensive. The installation of anything on the exterior of the foundation will require excavation to expose the wall.

On the interior, the A-1 method of sealing out water from concrete floor cracks is with the gravity fed system. A polymer is used to create a bond between the concrete cracks and fills the entire void through to the bottom. The A-1 preferred method for foundation wall pipe penetration leaks is to inject the gap around the pipe with high-viscosity polyurethane. This polymer can be used on both wet and dry materials, and it can work its way into small hairline cracks to make a more powerful bond.

A-1 Foundation Crack Repair, Inc. was founded after more and more house builders requested the A-1 Method to solve problems that otherwise would have been cost prohibitive or simply too invasive. In fact, the A-1 Method not only repairs your existing cracks, but also helps prevent future ones!

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Repairing your home's foundation is one of the most important things to do. There are many reasons that you would want to repair the foundation quickly and ways to get the repairs done. When it comes to your home, you should want it to be it's best at all times. If you are looking for some tips on how to repair the foundation of your home, keep reading. It may surprise you.

The number one tip for repairing the foundation of your home, is make sure that you fix all the cracks, holes or other things that are allowing water to get in. Water can ruin a home in the flash of your eyes. Water can lead to mold and mildew growing on the walls and so much more that can cause health problems. It can also cause major damage to the flooring such as carpet and hardwood.

Another tip and reason for fixing your home is, the foundations condition can affect the status of your home when it comes to getting a home loan and selling the house. If you have cracks and other kinds of problems, they can be seen as a defect and most homeowners will make a purchase until the problems have been fixed.

The longer you wait to fix the foundation, the more of future repair costs. Tip number three. Make sure that you fix the foundation as soon as possible. Not fixing the foundation can cause your home to shift and cause even bigger cracks and messes to fix.

In order to repair the foundation of your home, you are going to need to do things that can include, but are not limited to foundation waterproofing, concrete foundation repair, waterproof the basement walls, crawl space ventilation, replace carpet due to carpet water damage, and insulate the basement. Hiring the professionals at A-1 will be a smart solution to getting your home's foundation in tip top shape. Contact us today to learn more about your home's foundation and how we can put our A-1 method to work for you.

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Determining if you have a foundation problem with your home or other building is determined mostly by using your eyes and just good common sense. If you are starting to see cracks in interior drywall, windows that won't close or open, doors that suddenly seem out of kilter or other abnormal things around the home your foundation may be the culprit.

If you do a little investigative looking, finding problems can be quite easy if they are actually present. Finding a sticky window or door does not mean your foundation is bad. It may be nothing more than humidity, loose hinges or a window that needs a spring adjustment. If you find all of sudden there are a great many items with a problem then it is time to look around. Starting on the buildings exterior, slowly walk the perimeter and take a real good look at the exposed portion of the foundation walls. If you see cracks in the wall, inward or outward bowing, sunken soils against the wall, cracks in the brick face or bowed siding for example, these are all causes for concern. Make a note of the locations and proceed to the inside of the basement.

Using a pencil, draw a line horizontally across the crack and large enough to see easily later on. Keep checking the crack from time to time to see if the pencil mark as moved and the two sides of crack line no longer match up. If the lines are now separated vertically, it indicates that the foundation is moving. If you see a larger crack, bigger than an eighth of an inch wide, this may mean severe movement has occurred. If this is the case then allow us to do a thorough inspection of your home's foundation and use our A-1 method to repair any damage. Contact us today should you have any questions or concerns about your home or commercial building's foundation.

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There are a number of contributing factors that lead to a foundation problem. They include poor and inadequate drainage, plumbing leaks, extremely dry soil and poor soil conditions. A home owner's ultimate nightmare is a basement full of unwanted water due to cracked foundations or other leakage. A-1 Foundation will promptly come to your home and provide you with unparalleled foundation crack repair and guarantee that all of your basement water leaks are repaired to your full satisfaction.

Structural repair issues are often very complicated and require specialized knowledge to both analyze and develop repair plans. If left unattended, structural problems will continue to get worse, leading to more costly corrective repairs and diminished resale value of your home. Your home is likely your largest and most valuable investment. Don’t let the problem linger another day.

We also offer commercial assistance as well. If you own/manage residential, office, industrial, or retail buildings, foundation cracks and foundation leaks can result in health hazards and loss of income if not promptly and correctly repaired. Which is why we at A-1 are proud to offer an array of commercial services as well as residential.

We utilize a unique, high technology approach to repairing cracks and leaks of all kinds using the A-1 Method for structural and nonstructural repairs.We have trained and certified specialists to advise our customers of their options. Our highly skilled team ensures the highest quality workmanship. Contact us today and let us put our method to work for you.

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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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Have you ever heard of the old saying “you need to build your home on a rock rather than loose sandy soil?” Well this might not be the case with a building foundation. Smaller cracks aren't going to be as big of a problem as larger ones, but don't forget that smaller foundation cracks can get bigger. If you have small hairline cracks in your building foundation, usually this won't become a problem unless they start to expand and get larger. A good example of a hairline building foundation crack would be to draw a line on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil. A hairline crack isn't going to be any bigger than the width of a regular pencil line.

If the building foundation has structural reinforcing installed within the footings and the building foundation slab itself, these cracks and usually won't get larger. The reinforcement will actually hold these areas together and provide additional strength for the homes foundation.

Now what about larger cracks in your foundation, could these be a problem? Well if the cracks are large then you need to get those fixed a.s.a.p. However if the cracks are a bit smaller and you are worried about them increasing over time a handy trick you can do is take a picture of the crack and then regularly take pictures of these cracks annually to make sure that they're not getting larger.

Foundation cracks are common in home construction and to give you a brief summary, if the foundation cracks are small, you might not have a problem, but if they're big, wider than a quarter of an inch, you could have a problem. Cracks that are wider than a half-inch could mean serious problems. The best bet is to just secure and fix all cracks and our proven A-1 method has never failed. Should you need foundation repair or even need us to evaluate the cracks or leaks in your home contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.

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Are you scared that you need foundation repair because you've noticed cracks in your foundation slab? Or maybe in your basement you've seen cracks spreading through the walls? Don't panic. It's not the end of the world. Now don't misunderstand, cracks in your foundation are potentially serious. But there are also quite a few misconceptions about foundation repair. Once you sort through and better understand them, you should be able to breathe a bit easier and ease your worries.

First of all, if you have cracking, it automatically requires and extensive foundation repair solution. Well not necessarily. Sometimes cracking is merely cosmetic. How can you tell? Well, only a professional can give you a true answer to that question. Your best bet is to just have our professional A-1 team come out and take a look to assess the damage. It could only be minor cracks that are not dangerous at all, but as we well know even the smallest cracks can be harmful.

Secondly, your foundation walls are going to have to be completely rebuilt. The fact is, there are multiple methods of foundation repair. A complete rebuild is only necessary in the most extreme cases. Usually you'll already know because at this point your foundation walls will be on the verge of collapsing. Otherwise, you'll likely be able to take advantage of another technique, such as stabilization straps or steel beam reinforcement.

And lastly, foundation repair results in destroying your beautiful lawn in order to fix your problem. In the most extreme cases yes has happened, however as foundation repair techniques have improved over time, new methods have been developed which are less invasive. For example, if you're able to utilize the stabilization strap method of repair, there is no damage to your lawn. The same goes for using reinforcement beams. Will these methods work for you? You won't know until you ask. So contact us today and let us use the A-1 method to repair your foundation needs.

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Foundation Repair definitely is something you will want to address within your home. It is not something you want to overlook and ignore hoping it will fix itself. We have been in the business of foundation crack repair for a long time and did some research on the subject and came across the following facts. Safety must come first when it comes to this topic.

• Many homeowners experience the need for foundation repair. It's definitely something none of us look forward to, but unfortunately it happens.
• Foundation repair is usually needed most if the home was built on expansive soils. That's where damage and movement is common. Expansive soils contain minerals that absorb water that can wreak havoc to your home's foundation.
• Water and weather are two of your worst enemies when it comes to your home's foundation. They both can have damaging effects. You have some control over water; however, weather unfortunately is not controllable.
• Trees actually absorb a good deal of water near the foundation of your home. Trees can be beautiful addition to the landscape of your home; as well as helpful to your home’s foundation.
• Whenever you suspect your home may have a foundation problem, check for cracked sheetrock or cracks in your home's brick on the outside.
• Sometimes when there's a problem, doors or windows may not open easily.
•  If you procrastinate doing foundation repairs and want to sell your home, it may hamper your closing.

Foundation Repair is not for the weekend "do-it-yourself" project; however, should you experience any type of foundation problems within your home, we highly recommend contacting our professional team to come in and secure your home from further damage due to leaks and cracks. Using our proven A-1 method there is no type of leak that can get by us.

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A-1 Foundation and Crack Repair emphasizes consumer education.  Our loyal blog readers understand this.  We welcome the small jobs that bring welcome relief rather than witnessing the emotional and financial pain associated with massive foundation failure.  Someone is going to save tens of thousands of dollars by reading and acting upon this blog post. 

The foundation is the backbone of your home, and proper maintenance is the key to keep it in tact. However, many factors that contribute to foundation cracks are out of your control. Such as environmental damage or where the home was built. If you are on a heavy clay soil, or poor soil that can affect your foundation. Here are seven signs that you may have problems with your foundation.

• Doors and windows do not close properly. This is a strong indication that something weird is going on with your foundation. Doors and windows that used to open and close with ease have now become more difficult and noisy to operate.
• Sloped Floors. When you drop things on the floor, do they tend to roll down to the same spot?
• Sheetrock cracks. Check door jams and window frames. The thing to watch for is a diagonal crack, often extending from the corner of a door or window frame. This indicates frame twist caused by foundation movement.
• Nails popping out of drywall. If over time you are seeing nail heads popping through the skin of the drywall, it could be an indication of a heaving or settling slab foundation.
• Cracks in exterior walls.  Again, look for diagonal cracks, especially in brickwork. It is another sign of foundation problem if the width of the cracks expands with time. 
• Sections of brick or siding separating from the framing. This are where vertical cracks come in to play. Do you see separation between sections of siding? Is there separation between the brick and framing? The vertical crack may be wider at the top than at the bottom or vice versa. Such cracks are often a sign of movement in the foundation.
• Leaning chimney. If the chimney is no longer square with the rest of the house or has the telltale diagonal cracks, this is another sign of foundation movement.

Of course these same signs apply to assessing the foundational health of your commercial properties as well. Any single indicator mentioned above is cause for concern.  Two or more of these signs is a definite call to action before your foundation problems multiplies.  

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Home Inspections - Inspecting Foundation Cracks

If you are a homeowner or are buying a new home do not wait for water to appear in basement before calling A-1 Foundation Crack Repair for an inspection ... especially if you see cracks in basement walls or floors.  You need to determine the underlying cause (or causes) of foundation cracks (and related defects) which otherwise would remain the subject of speculation and ongoing concern/stress.

Fortunately most of the time, foundation cracks do not suggest the need for expensive foundation repair work. Concrete cracks or cracks in masonry, brickwork, stucco, plaster or drywall are not uncommon in structures and often are often tolerated by property owners without consequence.

So why do so many property owners need to consult a foundation repair expert? Because you need the experienced expert to distinguish between what is minor and what is a significant problem. Nobody else wants the liability of perhaps making the wrong call about a foundation crack.

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