Crack in the foundation

[FN Phat]

KL is correct, if your builder is still in business and it hasn't been 10 years, chances are they have to cover structural issues. We had 10-2-1 warranty. 10 years on structural (20 years on shingles), 2 years on all the mechanicals (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.) and 1 year on everything under the sun.

Did you buy the home from a large builder? If so, are your neighbors having the same issues? Cracks in a slab, depending on the size, are not as big of an issue as what it may seem. That is why I was asking how large the crack is. If it is 1/8"- 1/4" and it is not heaving or raised, it is more common that what you may think. If you want to get a jump on the issue, it may be time to do a little DIY project. Switch out the linolium and lay some tile or hardwood. Both would be an upgrade (although I am not a fan of hardwood in the kitchen) and you can complete the project in a weekend and most importantly, get to the bottom of the slab issue.

[kccougar]

The first things to figure out are if the slab has moved up or down and if it is still moving.

Any idea what kind of soil your house is built on? Almost all foundation problems (especially 9 years in) come back to water. How far away from the exterior of the house are these cracks? Do you have any of the following just outside the house on the side nearest the cracks? landscaping that gets regularly watered, buried water lines, or trees?

Water getting under the foundation because of either leaking utilities or overwatering of the landscaping can cause the foundation to settle and could crack the slab a little way in from the footing. If your house is built on relatively expansive clay, the soil can actually swell if it gets too wet or it can shrink (and drop the ftg/slab) if it gets too dry. If you have trees near the foundation the roots can suck water out of the soil and cause the same problem.

[FN Phat]

The first things to figure out are if the slab has moved up or down and if it is still moving.

Any idea what kind of soil your house is built on? Almost all foundation problems (especially 9 years in) come back to water. How far away from the exterior of the house are these cracks? Do you have any of the following just outside the house on the side nearest the cracks? landscaping that gets regularly watered, buried water lines, or trees?

Water getting under the foundation because of either leaking utilities or overwatering of the landscaping can cause the foundation to settle and could crack the slab a little way in from the footing. If your house is built on relatively expansive clay, the soil can actually swell if it gets too wet or it can shrink (and drop the ftg/slab) if it gets too dry. If you have trees near the foundation the roots can suck water out of the soil and cause the same problem.

If he lives in a shrink/swell soil area, his home would have added engineering to compensate ie larger and more frequent rebar, deeper and wider footings, thicker foundation walls, etc. It would be a code compliance issue. I wasn't thinking about the location of the crack...great question.

[The_Tick]

Smack dab in the middle of the house.

I am going to do two things tonight....

1. Take a picture of the grout in the bathroom and post it.
2. Cut the linolium and take a photo of the crack in the pad. I can glue it back down or whatever until we decide what we are going to do to the floor.

Regardless...it is something we are going to have to fix before we ever think of selling the place anyways so it really is going to be a non issue on the linolium cut. The only issue is going to be my wife getting tired of looking at it and getting after me to fix it.

[kccougar]

[QUOTE=FN Phat;265910]If he lives in a shrink/swell soil area, his home would have added engineering to compensate ie larger and more frequent rebar, deeper and wider footings, thicker foundation walls, etc. [QUOTE]

You'd be surprised at how often this isn't the case.

[Katy Lied]

This is probably a totally unnecessary question, but your foundation slab is not post tensioned, right? When you moved in, there weren't any large red caution signs in the garage about cutting into your foundation, right? right?

[The_Tick]

This is probably a totally unnecessary question, but your foundation slab is not post tensioned, right? When you moved in, there weren't any large red caution signs in the garage about cutting into your foundation, right? right?

There were none. Correct.

We have until next January for our 10th anniversary since buying the house. We are the first owners. We were the 3rd family to start paperwork to buy the house, but the first ones to actually close on it. (The first family wanted the backyard totally landscaped in the deal. Builder wouldn't do it. House wasn't moving. So they put in the yard. Too late for the first family. Second family wanted them to break up the great room with a wall and install a fireplace. House had already been built so the builder told them no thanks. We were the beneficiaries.)

Since we have lived in the house they have:

1. Replaced all the linolium in the house. (Peeling and fading issue.)
2. Replaced all the carpet in the house. (Fading/splitting issue.)
3. Replaced a 1'x2' section of Corian on the counter that cracked.

All of this was at no cost to us as it was under warranty.

I did part time work for the gentleman who was the financier for this construction company. The only reason they replaced 1 and 2 was because we got him involved when they told us to pound sand. They did 3 because they remembered us from 1 and 2. Unfortunatly my former employer has since passed due to cancer. So we shall see where this leads.

If we had "The Fuse Box" this would be a great thread to be in there.

FN Phat and I have exchanged messages and he is going to mentor me through some of the projects that I am planning on doing for the house. Another great benefit of belonging to the CUF.

[Surfah]

FN Phat is the man.

[The_Tick]

FN Phat is the man.

Yeah...the man without a facebook acct! Sheesh.

[The Wankster]

So...

I have lived in this house for 9 years. We are first owners of the home.

About 4 months ago I notice the grout in the main bathroom had a crack going right down the middle. No problems with the tile, just the grout.

About 3 months ago I notice that there is a raised area in the kitchen floor. We have linolium in there and it was the way that the light reflected off of the floor that caught my eye. The main bathroom is right next to the kitchen. The cracking grout in the bathroom and the raised area in the kitchen are in a direct line.

So...I can see that there is a crack in the foundation and that the slab has raised a bit.

Other than cutting into the linolium in the kitchen...well there really isn't any other way to see how big this thing is or how far it goes.

It bothers me everytime I go into the kitchen. It is the only thing I can see. When I am in the restroom all I can look at is the grout.

Anyone ever had to deal with an insurance company over a slab issue? I am starting to freak myself out slightly.

Slab upheaval/settling is caused from poor compaction and drainage practices, my guess is there is some type of Clay that was used as backfill and no gravel as a buffer between the soils and the slab. When water is introduced, and it doesn't take much, the soils will swell and expand upward causing your upheaval.


You need to check water usage to see if you possibly have leakage in bathroom area under floor, if you can fix the underlying issue without the need to destroy the whole floor, you can fix the uneven concrete by grinding down the ridge with a portable grinder and quick set to even the floor out in the low spot.

[FN Phat]

Slab upheaval/settling is caused from poor compaction and drainage practices, my guess is there is some type of Clay that was used as backfill and no gravel as a buffer between the soils and the slab. When water is introduced, and it doesn't take much, the soils will swell and expand upward causing your upheaval.


You need to check water usage to see if you possibly have leakage in bathroom area under floor, if you can fix the underlying issue without the need to destroy the whole floor, you can fix the uneven concrete by grinding down the ridge with a portable grinder and quick set to even the floor out in the low spot.

That is a good fix but you really need to get to the root of the problem first.

Tick, what have you found out yet? Anything?

[The_Tick]

That is a good fix but you really need to get to the root of the problem first.

Tick, what have you found out yet? Anything?

Not yet. Going to take some photos tonight after dinner. Will cut the floor then also.

Wife is going to love that...

[Surfah]

That is a good fix but you really need to get to the root of the problem first.

Tick, what have you found out yet? Anything?

Cutting or sanding concrete is messy, expensive if someone else does it, and toxic. You can use some of the thinset leveler out there but the problem with that is it just cracks because it's so thin. You're probably better off using an injection type fill for the cracks. But if it's less than a 1/4" I probably wouldn't worry about filling it as long as it won't shift anymore. Though that probably won't be attractive if you're going to cover it with linoleum again.

And you're right, you need to find out what caused it to crack and rectify that before trying to repair it.

[Tick's wife]

Tick is currently ripping up the linoleum and there is this huge crack in the cement of the foundation in the kitchen. Holy Crap.

[Surfah]

Tick is currently ripping up the linoleum and there is this huge crack in the cement of the foundation in the kitchen. Holy Crap.

Post pics. Huge, as in long? Or huge as in wide?