I have a horizontal crack running across my basement wall about 3 feet from the floor. The wall seems to be pushing in slightly at the crack, hard to tell if Im imagining it. After heavy rain last week it looked worse, or maybe I'm just noticing it more. How worried should I be? House is from 1987, block foundation.
5 Comments
Horizontal cracks in block walls are more serious than vertical ones. They usually mean hydrostatic pressure from saturated soil pushing against the wall. If there's any inward bowing, thats the wall starting to fail structurally. I would get an engineer to look at this, not a repair contractor first.
That's not what I wanted to hear but thanks for being straight with me. How do I find a structural engineer? Never had to hire one before
look for a PE (professional engineer) who does residential structural work. they charge a few hundred for an inspection but give you unbiased info. contractors have an incentive to sell you repairs, engineers just tell you whats happening
In the meantime, measure the gap width and photograph it with something for scale like a quarter. Then check it again after the next rain. If its visibly wider after rain events thats your confirmation that water pressure is the issue. Also check your gutters and grading - if water is pooling on that side of the house thats making everything worse.
had the same situation in my 1985 block foundation. got an engineer report ($350) that saved me from a contractor trying to sell me $18k in wall anchors. turns out my drainage was the main issue. spent $2k on exterior waterproofing and better grading. wall hasnt moved in 2 years. not saying your situation is the same but definitely get an engineer before committing to major repairs