The First Year: Monthly
When you're just starting, you need frequent data points.
Why Monthly Matters Early
I didn't know if my cracks were stable or active. The only way to find out was to collect data. Monthly checks for a year gave me twelve data points. Enough to see patterns. Enough to understand seasonal variation. Enough to distinguish normal from concerning.
One or two measurements tell you nothing. A year of monthly measurements tells you everything.
My First Year Routine
First Saturday of every month. Down to the basement with my flashlight, crack gauge, and notebook. Check each crack against my pencil marks. Measure widths. Take photos. Write everything down. Fifteen minutes total.
The calendar reminder made it automatic. No thinking about whether it was time. The calendar said check, I checked.
What I Learned
By month four, I noticed nothing was changing. By month eight, I was confident. By month twelve, I had a full seasonal cycle showing my cracks were stable. The first year of data gave me confidence for every year after.
When to Stay Monthly
If your first few months show any change, stay monthly until things stabilize. Gary's monitoring showed his crack growing from month one. He needed monthly tracking until he got the repair done. Active problems need frequent attention.
Years Two and Three: Quarterly
Once stability is established, you can check less often.
Why Quarterly Works
After a year of stable monthly data, I relaxed to quarterly. Four times a year captures all the seasons. Enough to catch any change. Not so often that it becomes a chore I skip.
January, April, July, October. Same time each quarter. Consistent timing makes comparison meaningful.
Season to Season
Quarterly checks let me compare winter to winter, summer to summer. January 2021 versus January 2020 versus January 2019. That year-over-year seasonal comparison is how I know nothing is drifting. The pattern repeats. No progression.
The Effort Balance
Four checks a year is manageable. I can do it indefinitely. Monthly was a commitment. Quarterly is maintenance. The reduced frequency helped me stay consistent rather than burning out and stopping altogether.
Years Four and Beyond: Twice a Year
Long-term stability earns less frequent monitoring.
My Current Schedule
After three years of zero change, I moved to twice yearly. April after winter and October before winter. These catch any problems while minimizing effort. My cracks have earned my trust through years of stability.
Spring Check
April tells me what happened over winter. Did freeze-thaw cause any new damage? Are my cracks the same as last April? Spring is when problems from winter stress would show up. So far, nothing ever has.
Fall Check
October establishes baseline going into winter. If I need to seal anything, fall is the time. I want to know my foundation's condition before winter stress arrives. The October check is insurance.
Twenty Minutes a Year
That's my total monitoring investment now. Twenty minutes twice a year. For peace of mind and proof of stability. Cheapest home maintenance I do.
Event-Triggered Checks
Some things warrant checking outside the schedule.
After Heavy Rain
Unusually heavy rain or prolonged wet periods. I'll walk through the basement afterward looking for new water entry or any obvious changes. Not a full measurement session, just a visual check.
The year we had record spring rainfall, I checked more often. Everything was fine, but I wanted to know.
After Nearby Work
When my neighbor had a driveway excavated, I checked my foundation afterward. Vibration and soil disturbance nearby could potentially affect your foundation. Nothing happened to mine, but I looked.
After Earthquakes
We don't get many here, but any tremor I feel sends me to the basement with a flashlight. Looking for new cracks, changed cracks, anything that suggests movement. So far, never found anything.
When Something Feels Off
If I notice a door sticking differently or a floor feeling weird, I check. These symptoms can indicate foundation movement. They're usually nothing, but checking takes five minutes. Worth doing.
Gary's Different Schedule
Active problems need more attention.
Monthly Until Repair
Gary needed monthly checks from the moment we started monitoring until he got the wall anchors installed. His crack was active. Monthly data documented the progression that justified the repair.
After Repair: Back to Monitoring
After the wall anchors went in, Gary didn't stop monitoring. Now he checks quarterly. The repair should have stopped the movement, but he wants to verify. His monitors should show zero change if the repair is working.
Two years post-repair, his monitors are stable. The wall anchors are doing their job.
Annual Tightening Check
Wall anchors can be tightened periodically to slowly pull the wall back toward plumb. Gary's contractor comes once a year to check the anchors and tighten if appropriate. That's part of his monitoring now.
Adjusting Based on Findings
Your schedule should respond to what you find.
Stable Means Less Frequent
Multiple checks showing zero change earn you the right to check less often. I went from monthly to quarterly to twice yearly as my data proved stability. My cracks earned less scrutiny through consistent good behavior.
Any Change Means More Frequent
If I ever see change, I'm going back to monthly immediately. Any new crack, any widening, any mark passed. That would reset my schedule to frequent monitoring until I understand what's happening.
After Professional Advice
The engineer who evaluated my foundation said twice yearly was reasonable for my stable cracks. If he'd seen something concerning, he might have recommended more frequent monitoring. Follow professional guidance when you have it.
Making It Happen
A schedule only works if you follow it.
Calendar Reminders
I set recurring reminders. April 1 and October 1, every year. When the reminder pops up, I do the check within a few days. No trying to remember. The calendar remembers for me.
Tie to Other Routines
My fall foundation check happens around when I'm doing other fall maintenance. Checking gutters, changing furnace filter, checking foundation. All part of the same seasonal routine.
Keep It Quick
The check takes fifteen minutes. If it took an hour, I'd skip it. The brevity keeps me consistent. Walk around, check marks, measure, photograph, done. No big production.
Immediate Documentation
I write notes and organize photos right after checking. Not later when I might forget. The documentation is part of the check. Everything captured while it's fresh.
When Monitoring Can Stop
At some point, vigilance becomes unnecessary.
Long-Term Proven Stability
Five years of identical measurements through all seasons is pretty conclusive. My cracks are dormant. They haven't moved in five years. They probably won't move in fifty. But I still check twice a year because the effort is minimal and the habit is established.
After Successful Repair
If a crack was repaired and subsequent monitoring shows the repair holding, you can reduce intensity. Gary's sealed and stabilized wall doesn't need the attention it got during failure. It just needs periodic verification.
Never Fully Stop
I'll always do a yearly walkthrough. Maybe not formal monitoring with measurements, but at least looking. Foundations can develop new problems. Conditions change. Complete abandonment of awareness isn't smart.
But the obsessive checking that marked my first year? That's gone. Replaced by a sustainable routine that catches real problems without creating imaginary ones.