In this episode, Crackman Rich Comeras discusses how homeowners are perplexed that after 20 years of faithful service, their home’s foundation suddenly reveals cracks. One can imagine the first sign of cracks is cause for concern...people worrying that their house is about to crumble down. Rich explains how foundation wall cracks can suddenly appear after 20 years and what can be done about them.
Narrator: It’s time once again for the “Crack Man Podcast” hosted by A1 Foundation Crack Repair. I’m Darren Kincaid here with the Crackman himself, Rich Comeras. Rich has 30 years of experience in the construction industry and over 25 years’ experience as the President and founder of A1 Foundation and Crack Repair Inc. His podcasts provides expert basement waterproofing, concrete repair, and preventative maintenance tips for homeowners and businesses. A1 Foundation’s valuable insight will help avert a disastrous flood within the basement, health problems associated with water infiltration, and protect your biggest investment….your home. The topic of today’s podcast: Why am I suddenly starting to get Foundation Wall Cracks after 20 years?
So Rich, you are telling me about some regular calls you’re getting where people are complaining that their foundation walls, walls that have been pristine for years are suddenly showing signs of cracks. I can imagine that the first sign of cracks is cause for concern, you know, people worrying that their house is about to crumble down. What’s happening here?
Rich: Well it’s funny that we’ve been getting them now, this time of year. And I believe the reason we’re getting them is because we’ve had a lot of some snowstorms, we’ve had some warm weather, some melt, we’ve had some cold weather and freezing. And all this water when it melts, goes into the soil, and then it freezes, and it expands. Now concrete’s very strong being pushed down, but when it’s being pushed in towards the foundation, the soil pushing in on it, it’s not that strong. So, it’s the freeze-thaw cycle with the addition of rain and freeze is causing this.
It also can be caused because as simple as a heavy piece of equipment is going down the road and the grounds are frozen and you get vibrations in the area, which would increase the vibration, and people are getting cracks. Now we’re getting calls not just from Massachusetts, but from Rhode Island, New Hampshire, as well as Connecticut with this issue. And it’s based upon, and tracking it to the weather that’s happening. Now when they call, people call they are concerned, again, that their house is going to fall down. In most of these situations, it’s just what we call a settlement crack and they’re probably less than a quarter of an inch wide and they do go from top to the bottom of the foundation. Houses aren’t going to fall down, let me reassure you that. But they need to be repaired because it can allow cold air coming in, water coming in, insects and rodents to come in, along with the moisture that causes mold/ All of this can affect your health. So, we have offered this service for over 25 years now that does a repair on these cracks on the inside, no need to dig, and it comes with a written transferable warranty. So, if anybody has any questions, feel free to call or send a picture to us.
Narrator: Well thanks, Rich for explaining how foundation wall cracks can suddenly appear after 20 years and what can be done about them. If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation repair and waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Rich at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email rich at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for watching and keep that basement dry.