Reading a Crack in Your Basement Wall
Short answer: thin vertical cracks in poured walls are usually shrinkage. Horizontal cracks, stair-step cracks in block, and cracks that grow or leak are the ones to have checked.
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Vertical cracks are usually less worrying than horizontal or diagonal ones.
Width
Hairline cracks are common. Wider than about a quarter inch deserves a look.
Offset
If one side of the crack sticks out farther than the other, the wall has moved.
Growth
Mark the ends with a pencil and date. Growth over months means movement is active.
Water
A crack that leaks needs sealing even if it isn't structural.
Doors and windows
Sticking doors upstairs alongside new cracks suggest the house is moving.
Windows
Cracks spreading from the corners of basement windows are worth noting too.
Photos
Take dated photos with a ruler for scale. They help a contractor see the change.
Next
More foundation repair guides
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Bowing basement walls, new cracks, water on the floor after a storm. Tell us what you're seeing and we'll pass it straight to a foundation contractor, who will call you to set up an inspection and quote.
- Basement walls, cracks and slabs
- Des Moines, Grimes, Norwalk, Indianola and nearby
- Inspection and quote before any work
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