If you read enough about spotting the signs of foundation problems, you’ll come across a lot of specific descriptions of crack types, from shape, to direction, to location.

These patterns aren’t random. They are the result of a specific type of structural forces acting on your home. The interplay between the structure of the house and the stresses that foundation problems place it under yield specific types of cracks. Let’s examine why.

Direction of Stress

While there are several categories of foundation problems that can cause cracks, we are going to focus on those stemming from foundation settlement (a portion of the foundation sinking).

Imagine the soil below properly supports half of a house, while erosion has affected the soil under the other half. This places a downward pressure on that half of the house, but it can’t sink uniformly. So this is going to place the structure of the house under stress.

If you have a brick home, you might get a stair-step crack on that side. This allows that portion of the home to settle at a different rate than the properly supported half. In other cases, it might cause a vertical crack at an inflection point, with the crack being wider on top than the bottom because of the direction of the settlement force acting on the wall.

Cracks Find the Weakest Point

Wonder why most lists of symptoms of foundation problems list cracks emanating from doors and window frames?

The differential settlement throws the house out of alignment, placing the wall under stress. Where is the wall at its weakest (and therefore most prone to cracking)? At the points where openings have been cut out of it. This is why you will often see cracks around window frames in homes with structural problems.

Remember the stair-step pattern for masonry wall cracks mentioned earlier? Well, diagonal cracks are common with foundation problems, but a diagonal crack in a masonry wall would have to go through a brick or block. The path of least resistance, however, are the mortar joints.

Because of this, you get the stair-step pattern that follows the mortar joints.

Think Your Cracks Signal Foundation Problems? Give us a Call

If you think cracks around your home might be caused by foundation problems and you live in our Oklahoma service area, give us a call today for a free estimate. Our technicians will inspect your property and come up with a plan that provides quality work at an affordable price.