Discovering a crack in a home’s foundation can give a homeowner sleepless nights. This is a matter that must be addressed quickly, as the longer the crack remains, the greater the opportunity for it to grow and significantly compromise the integrity of the home. Foundation Crack Repair Wakefield MA must be performed sooner rather than later as cracks can impact the structure of the home by weakening the foundation. Cracks can also allow water to penetrate into the foundation leading to even more damage.
Foundation cracks are caused by many factors including some of Mother Nature’s effects such as an earthquake. As the earth moves, the stress placed on the rigid foundation can cause the foundation to crack. Builders in earthquake prone areas try to compensate for the stress place on a foundation in an earthquake through structural engineering designs that allow the foundations to “move” with the earth, thus reducing the stress to the structure.
The amount of moisture in the soil can also help to create cracks in a home’s foundation. A lack of moisture over a sustained period of time (as in a drought) can cause the earth to shrink and pull away from the foundation. This creates a gap that can result in movement in the foundation, which can subsequently lead to the development of cracks in the foundation. Conversely, too much moisture in the soil can cause the soil to expand causing bulging in the foundation, which also may lead to cracks developing in the foundation.
Another cause of foundation cracks could be plain and simple poor construction. If the foundation is not properly built to support the structure that will sit upon it, the structure is significantly compromised from the start. It is only a matter of time before a faulty foundation fails and caused significant damage. For this reason it is critical that a reputable and expert builder be utilized to construct a homes foundation.
No matter what the cause, Crack Repair Wakefield MA must be done quickly to minimize damage. When looking to repair foundation cracks, homeowner should be diligent in researching contractors, getting references and verifying licenses. It is also critical to ensure the contractor performing the foundation Crack Repair Wakefield MA has expertize in repair the specific type of repair they are being hired to perform.
