Cracks in the Basement Floor? It May Be a Sign of Bigger Problems!

Cracks in the basement floor could be an indicator of a change in the soil beneath your home.

If these are new hairline cracks in a relatively newly built home, this could be simple concrete shrinkage and nothing to worry about (unless they are leaking). If it’s an older house with new or widening floor cracks, it could be a more serious sign that movement of the floor has occurred.

As basement floors don’t generally move, this is a possible indication that a part of the home has begun to settle, resulting in a cracked basement floor. A local foundation repair contractor like ’58 Foundations & Waterproofing can help determine what the cause is and develop a comprehensive solution.

Why Cracks in the Basement Floor Occur

A fairly common reason for cracks in the basement floor is due to changes in the foundation of your house. More accurately, it’s due to the soil that your home sits on.

Over time, the soil beneath your home can shift or compact. These soil changes can cause parts of a building’s foundation to settle or sink into the earth at varying rates. If the foundation is settling unevenly, basement floor cracks can begin to appear.

Changes to the soil beneath your foundation can also be caused by other factors including interactions with water.

What Does Water Have to Do With My Cracked Basement Floor?

Whenever it rains, water seeps down through the soil and the water table rises. If there is enough rain, that water can eventually reach your foundation. This water can interact both with the soil and the foundation’s floor and walls.

The water pressing against the foundation can create what’s called hydrostatic pressure. It can lead to water leaking into your basement via the cold joints, like between the basement wall and floor. That water pressure can also stress the concrete until cracks begin to form on the basement floor or wall.

When the water table recedes from your foundation, soil erosion and soil displacement may occur as the soil dries and compacts. This can create a void beneath your foundation. Then uneven settling can begin and the cracks in your basement floor can appear.

What Can Be Done to Repair It?

Since there are various reasons for a cracked basement floor, a local foundation repair contractor like ’58 Foundations & Waterproofing is prepared with a variety of solutions to restore stability to your foundation and peace to your home.

• Cracks in the basement floor can be reinforced with our ’58 Strong Carbon Fiber Concrete Floor Stitches.
• If hydrostatic pressure from water is the cause behind those basement floor cracks, our ’58 basement waterproofing system to swiftly move groundwater away from your home. Our waterproofing solutions include quality products like our specially-engineered Channel ’58 drainage channels and Workhorse sump pump with battery backup options.
• If your foundation is experiencing uneven settlement, our ’58 Strong Helical Piers offer the strength and long-lasting durability to make your foundation stable once more.

It’s important to get your foundation problems fixed as soon as possible. Unfortunately, these problems only get worse with time. That means the longer you wait, the greater the cost of repairs. By repairing your foundation promptly, you can both preserve your home’s structural integrity as well as its value.

Need a Local Foundation Repair Contractor? Lean on ’58!

To better understand the causes behind the cracks in the basement floor, call your local foundation repair contractor at ’58 Foundations & Waterproofing. Our company has over 65 years of experience providing these five-star services…

• Foundation Repair
• Basement Waterproofing
• Crawl Space Encapsulation
• Mold Removal

With our quality products and honest methods, we’ve kept tens of thousands of homes stable and safe.

We have local offices located throughout the Eastern Seaboard. Whether you need a local foundation repair contractor near Spartanburg, SC, Chattanooga, TN, or Marietta, GA, you can count on ’58 Foundations & Waterproofing to be there when you need us! Contact us to schedule for a free inspection and price quote! We’ll be happy to answer any questions and help repair your cracked basement floor.