Causes Of Vertical Cracks In Concrete Walls

Vertical cracks in a foundation wall wider at bottom than top usually due to settlement under building occasionally due to frost heave at a point.

Causes of vertical cracks in concrete walls.

Stair step cracks may also signify heaving. Vertical and diagonal cracks in concrete walls typically indicate foundation movement. The location and pattern of cracks are the most important factors in de termining their cause. These cracks may be less serious than horizontal when found in a masonry block wall.

The use of heavy machinery vibration excessive mechanical compaction of the soil or blasting the use of explosives to excavate can all cause your walls to crack. In the drawings shown here the causes of typical cracks in concrete walls are explained based on the location and pattern of the cracks. Four causes of cracks above openings in masonry walls are. The cause of the crack how harmful the crack is and how best to repair it if repair is deemed necessary.

Vertical cracks are rare in a concrete block or brick wall because the mortar is usually weaker structurally and the crack will zig zag along the mortar joints only occasionally fracturing directly through the brick or block as it continues along. The near vertical cracking could be caused by settlement heaving or soil subsidence due to tree roots but most often a vertical crack is due to thermal expansion and contraction of a long wall. Wednesday march 27 2019. Interior cracks in concrete block walls can form for a number of reasons including.

That said interior wall cracks often have different causes than exterior wall cracks. If a vertical crack widens at the top or bottom the wall is either settling or gradually heaving which may present serious issues. The causes of vertical cracks are usually traced to vertical dislocation of the foundation footing or entire wall.