Unless you or someone in your home is a certified ogre, the floor cracks in your basement are likely not from your big feet. But they could be a sign that you’ve got major foundational problems happening underneath or adjacent to the surface of your West Georgia home. When you have concrete floors in your basement, there are many kinds of cracks that can occur over time. Some are from settlement issues, and some are from non-settlement issues. Think about the fact that your foundation is the middle pressure point for all the connected parts of your entire house. So when gravity, or settlement, or concrete shrinkage, or the effects of poor construction have enough time to sprawl out, the pressure may be enough to cause cracks in your concrete. When this happens, moisture and gasses will begin seeping up through your basement floor, causing all kinds of problems for you and your family.
One of the ways that cracks form is actually an issue that falls fairly in the middle of settlement and non-settlement issues is hydrostatic pressure. When you have poor drainage around your home, meaning that the water flows towards your foundation instead of away from it, the accumulation of water around your foundation will put tons of pressure on your foundation. This is called hydrostatic pressure, and it is one of the quickest ways to buckle the foundation of your home. If left unattended, this pressure will destroy your foundation, and eventually, your home. Regardless of how the floor cracks start, it’s important that any crack over 1/8th of an inch be sealed by yourself or a professional.
Cracks in your basement floor, if left unattended, could be letting a steady stream of water and gaseous substances into your home. Your home is already under enough assault from water as it works with gravity, much less being attacked by the water and gasses below. Radon is one of the most feared gasses that can seep up through floor cracks in your basement, and its prevalence in your home could be very dangerous for you and your family.
It’s also important to pay attention to what happens to the pieces of the floor in and around the cracks. Are you experiencing heaving, sinking, unevenness, gaps, spreading, flaking, or any other strange movements of the concrete chunks? Your Foundation Repair expert from FoundationRX can help you know for sure if you have a problem that needs addressing. Floor Cracks don’t go away on their own, and could let harmful moisture and gasses into your home. If you’d like to schedule a FREE on-site assessment for your West Georgia home, call or contact FoundationRX today. We’re on your side!