Your foundation is extremely important to help support and protect your home. Without a foundation, the house would sink into the ground, and bugs, water, and other hazards would have free access to your home. However, when poorly maintained or installed incorrectly, your foundation can start to fail. The first signs you may have trouble are cracks, so if you'd like to learn more, check out these four types of foundation cracks.

1. Vertical Cracks

Vertical cracks on your foundation are common because they are usually from the concrete shrinking. Most of these vertical cracks are thin. Many are less than 1/8 inch wide, so they cause little to no side effects. However, you should get these fixed as they can worsen or allow minor leakage or pest infestation.

Cracks wider than 1/8 inch definitely need repair, and they may indicate a more serious underlying issue that needs correcting to prevent future damage. Plus, the wider the crack, the higher the risk of flooding and water damage. Even if you have no underlying issue, a professional can better repair the larger crack by using the right materials, which reduces the risk of future damage.

In some cases, the causes of a vertical crack can cause the wall to rotate a little at the top, causing the wall to roll inward. This often results in diagonal cracks instead of vertical ones. A diagonal crack will usually end in the corner of the foundation.

2. Horizontal Cracks

Horizontal cracks are much more problematic than vertical cracks because they are not from normal concrete shrinkage. Instead, they are from severe pressure. This pressure is often from water, but soil movement can also lead to horizontal cracks.

If these cracks become big enough, they can lead to foundation failure or foundation collapse. While you may be able to fix some small vertical cracks yourself, any and all horizontal cracks needing inspection and repair by a professional to determine what has caused the horizontal cracks and what the severity of the damage is.

Repair may have to involve changing the grading or improving drainage to prevent water buildup around the soil, which can cause pressure.

3. Stair-Step Cracks

As the name suggests, stair-step cracks look like a set of stairs. Therefore, it consists of vertical and horizontal cracks. The leading cause for stair-step cracks is that the footing under the foundation is moving. This can cause the foundation to sink, leading to further cracks and an increased risk of flooding.

Even if the stair-step cracks are small, you should not attempt to repair them yourself. This will only mask the problem for a short time because you don't fix the underlying issue. If you try to sell your home or refinance and need a home inspection, repeated attempts to repair the issue may negatively impact the inspection.

A good foundation repair technician will patch up stair-step cracks, but they will first solve the problem causing the cracks. This often requires changes in the grading around the foundation to help redirect water and reduce the amount of pressure on the foundation.

4. Floor Cracks

Like vertical cracks, floor cracks are common and can often be left as-is. However, if that small crack gets bigger, it can allow pests, water, and radon to sneak inside the home. Ideally, the cause of floor cracks is just poor drainage, which is fixable adjusting the grade, adding better drainage, and installing a sump pump.

If the floor is cracked and sinking on one side of the crack, you'll need to level the foundation. This is usually done by adding a special material under the foundation. Similarly, if the foundation is heaving, there may be too much pressure from the soil below. This is often fixable by improving drainage.

Some minor cracks in your foundation are normal wear and tear, but others can indicate a major problem. Regardless of the type of crack, you can always inspect and repair it to prevent future damage and more expensive restorations. For more information, contact us at Bonilla Foundation Repair today.