About Foundation Crack Guide

My name is Dave Morrison, and I started this site after spending $14,000 on foundation repairs that I later learned were mostly unnecessary. It was 2012. I had just bought a 1987 split-level in Ohio, and a crack in the basement wall had me convinced the house was falling down. The contractor who showed up told me I needed wall anchors immediately or risk "catastrophic failure."

Twelve years later, I know that crack was a textbook shrinkage crack that hadn't moved in probably twenty years. The wall anchors I paid for? Completely unnecessary. My neighbor Gary went through something similar last year. His contractor told him his vertical cracks were a structural emergency. Turns out they were just normal settling cracks that had been there since the house was built in 1991.

That $14,000 mistake taught me something: when you don't understand what you're looking at, you're at the mercy of whoever shows up with a business card. And foundation contractors aren't always the most unbiased source of information about whether you need foundation work.

Why This Site Exists

Foundation Crack Guide exists to give homeowners the knowledge they need before making expensive decisions. We're not here to sell you anything. No contractor referral fees, no product endorsements, no affiliate links to foundation repair companies.

Just straightforward information about what different cracks mean, how to monitor them yourself, and when you actually need to call someone.

What We Cover

We focus on the practical stuff homeowners actually need to know. How to tell a cosmetic crack from a structural one. Why that crack appeared in the first place. Whether it's getting worse or just sitting there being ugly. And if you do need repairs, what the options actually are and what they should cost.

We try to be honest about uncertainty too. Sometimes a crack could go either way. Sometimes you really do need a professional to take a look. We'll tell you when that's the case instead of pretending everything has an easy answer.

My Background

I'm not a contractor or engineer. I'm a project manager who happens to own a house with foundation issues. After getting burned in 2012, I spent the next decade learning everything I could about foundation cracks. I've monitored my own cracks for 12 years now. I've helped friends and family evaluate their foundation problems. I've talked to probably two dozen contractors, engineers, and building inspectors along the way.

I've also watched my uncle spend $22,000 on underpinning he probably didn't need. I've seen my cousin in California panic over earthquake cracks. I helped my friend Dave talk a contractor down from $8,400 to $3,200 on wall anchors by simply knowing what questions to ask.

What I've Learned

After 12 years of watching cracks, reading engineering papers, and talking to professionals, here's what I know: most foundation cracks are not emergencies. The foundation repair industry has a financial incentive to make you think otherwise. This doesn't mean all contractors are dishonest. But it does mean you need your own knowledge base before getting estimates.

I write everything for regular homeowners, not engineers. If you need shrinkage calculations or soil bearing capacity formulas, you're probably already a professional. I explain things the way your neighbor would if they happened to have spent years researching this stuff after getting burned.

Sources and Accuracy

I pull from published engineering resources, building code documents, and university extension programs. I also talk to foundation contractors and structural engineers who aren't trying to sell me anything. My neighbor Rick is a retired building inspector. He's been invaluable.

That said, I'm not a licensed engineer or contractor. This site provides general information, not professional advice for your specific situation. When something might be serious, I'll tell you to get a professional evaluation. Some things really do need an expert.

A Note on Advertising

This site runs ads to cover hosting costs. The ads are served through Google AdSense and I don't control which specific ads appear. I don't accept sponsored content or paid reviews, and I don't get referral fees from any contractors or repair companies mentioned in my articles.

If I ever recommend specific products like crack gauges or monitoring tools, I'll disclose any affiliate relationship clearly. But I'll never recommend something I haven't used myself or wouldn't recommend to my own family.