The Problems
Fact: All foundations get settlement cracks.

Settlement cracks are hairline cracks that normally occur in the mortar joint.  Add water pressure and deterioration, and over time these settlement cracks will get worse.

Why does it happen?
The main cause is clay – and here on the eastern seaboard – we have plenty of it. Clay soils expand and contract because of saturation from water, drought and the freeze and thaw cycle.

Another component that adds to structural problems in our area is the acidity in the clay soil. Acid to concrete is like termites to wood. The bonding agent used in concrete is lime. Lime is a base. The acid causes a process called “efflorescence”. Efflorescence means “to change to a powder”. The acid and lime neutralize each other and cause this process to occur. The more lime that comes out of the concrete the weaker and more porous it becomes.

3rd Party Experts Weigh In
The BBB states, “Homes built on shrinking or swelling soils have up to a 60% chance of damage from this little known and even less understood natural occurrence. 

Fine Homebuilding magazine states, “Water accumulation and the seasonal expansion and contraction of the soil put lateral pressure on foundation walls. Without proper drainage, the pressure against a concrete-block foundation wall can create failures along mortar joints and cracks in the blocks themselves”.

The BBB report concludes by saying, “The problem should be tackled while in its early stages. Once the structural unity of the building is broken, continued movement can affect more of the structure”.

The Healthy Home Solution
Healthy Home uses state of the art techniques to repair the structural damage in your home or building. We repair wall, floor and footing problems. For instance, if the wall cracks are repaired before the cracks are displaced more than 1 inch, than carbon-fiber reinforcement can be used to brace the walls. Carbon-fiber is 18 times stronger than steel.

Fine Homebuilding magazine states, “Any wall displaced more than 1 inch from a plumb position must be excavated”. Excavating a wall entails digging down to the base of the footing to expose the entire wall so the wall can be replaced. O.S.H.A codes state that when you excavate an existing home, for every foot you dig down you must dig 1 ½ feet out on a 45 degree angle.

The average footing of a home is 6 feet below the surface-level. Therefore, if we have to dig 6 feet down we must dig 9 feet out. Any obstructions like patios, decks, porches, landscaping, etc. in that 9 foot trench must be removed. This is one of the main reasons why you want to tackle this problem in an early stage. Repairing the problem from the inside is less expensive and causes much less intrusion.

• The BBB report states, “Above all, if the remedy or price sounds too good to be true it probably is. Structural problems are deeper than you think, so are the solutions”.

We invite you to ask us for a qualified and honest solution.  Structural problems in your home are never good news – all the more reason to choose a trusted advisor that will ensure Your Peace of Mind.  

Call us today or Chat online!