How bad is this crack? I just noticed it today but I assume it’s been there a while and happened after an earth earthquake we had a few months ago.
Is this something I can just fill in with mortar and keep an eye on?
I plan on reaching out to our insurance company to see if they’ll pay for it but if not we’re pretty strapped for cash at the moment.
That just looks like weathering. I have some similar cracks (… that I really do need to get to sooner or later…), it just needs repointed to prevent further water intrusion (take out the old mortar and put new mortar in).
I would not bother your insurance company with this.
That’s a huge relief. The stairstep pattern following the big crack had me worried.
Thank you so much!
One thing I’ve learned since becoming a home owner ~5 years ago… There’s a lot of stuff on the Internet that tries to get you to a point of hysteria.
https://www.premiumwaterproofing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/stairstep-cracks.jpg
https://www.du-west.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bulog1-1920w.jpg
This is the kind of stair step crack you need to worry about. It’s a big gap, many blocks, etc. It’s a sign part of your foundation is sinking.
What you have is a block missing some mortar and a crack below (which can happen if water gets into the block … which happens when you’re missing mortar). You can have someone look at it, but I think an honest contractor would tell you “get it repointed or do it yourself, keep an eye on it.”
Not OP, nor a builder.
Why not get a professional to take a look? Cost would be nothing compared to the potential risk and peace of mind.
This comment does not constitute professional advice and whatever else I have to say that clearly indicates this is not my professional opinion.
These cracks appear structural in nature.
They do need to be repaired and probably by someone who can rule out other factors. Mostly I’m concerned about the large aperture crack between the blocks at the top as a source of water infiltration and maybe even pests but that’s not my purview.
You probably don’t need a structural engineer but a foundation repair company should take a look at it.
If you DIY it I would document the cracks really well and check on them regularly.I don’t really recommend DIY due to the large aperture crack up top. Were I there in person I would look at the penetration of it (how deep does the crack go?) to determine more. If it penetrates deeply, again, I would recommend having someone look at it.That being said are you on a hill of any kind? Did these cracks appear the same day as the earthquake or after? The larger one looks older. Do you have other cracks in the foundation? Sticky doors or windows? If you’re on a hill at all I would reach out to a geotechnical firm as these cracks, if they’re not directly earthquake related, could be indicators of slope instability.
Also are you in a floodplain? Old filled in estuary? There could have been significant settlement during the earthquake that may need to be addressed.
Homeowner’s insurance, in my experience, will not fix earthquake damage. If you live in an earthquake prone area I recommend you purchase a separate earthquake policy. Ours is about $40/month.
Edit to add: this probably isn’t time sensitive. I’m not advocating you run and stay in a hotel. But the crack with missing mortar isn’t a good thing and you should have it checked out.
I agree with everything you said except the paragraph about how to DIY it.
OP, do not DIY this. If you do, you now have two problems to worry about -
-
You have no idea how to fix it AND no idea what a successful repair even looks like
-
It will come up in the inspection when you sell. DIY foundation repairs are always noticeable and will raise a ton of questions. I backed out of two houses because the report called them out. You can’t see what’s going on behind the “repair” to know if it’s actually repaired
Good points, I withdraw my DIY comment and reiterate that this is structural damage that needs to be looked at by professionals.
-
That crack isn’t bad at all, especially if it’s following a mortar line. Are there doors/windows nearby, or is it close to a corner? Insurance will almost certainly tell you it’s nothing. My area had a quake a few years ago and I got a bigger crack (maybe 1/4") above the basement walkout door, also through the mortar like this one. If you wanna seal the crack then you’d have better luck with caulk, mortar would have a hard time taking to such a small crack; and sealing it would make the area more difficult to monitor. Just keep an eye on it over time and bone up on the water management around your house to make sure it’s all flowing away from your foundation, not loitering. I really don’t think you’ve got something to worry about right now based on what I see, and I’ve worked on or evaluated hundreds of houses. Rest easy, friend
To sum up the other comments:
Don’t worry it’s nothing.
PS: if you don’t have a professional do something about it quickly your house will explode.
That’s why I stopped asking / reading answers about this kind of stuff on forums, and have a professional come and see to give me a real advice. Every case is different and reading random advices on the internet can bring a lot of anxiety. Especially if you decide to do nothing while some people told you that it could be really bad.
Not sure if you’re talking about the top crack or not, but there is epoxy available from home depot/etc that is designed to correct these issues.
You seal the outside of the crack with some sand/plastic sealant, wait a day, then drill a hole near the top of the crack and inject the epoxy. It bonds over the course of a week to be much, much stronger than stone.
Depending on how bad it is, here is a more serious kit. Its the same thing most contractors will use.
You don’t need an epoxy of any sort for this … just a grinder, some more mortar, and a joiner.
This is just something that happens with masonry after decades.
The top crack and the little stairstep pattern crack following below it were my main concern. I’ve just always hear to watch out for the stair pattern and when I saw the big gap I panicked a little.
Thank you so much!
The big gap looks like the mortar has just deteriorated to the point that it’s fallen out. It’s not ideal but not necessarily an emergency yet either. Most likely the ground under the foundation has settled a bit. How urgent it is depends partly on whether the crack continues to expand. I would check it every week or two for a few months and see if it gets any wider. You can use a deck of of cards and keep track of how many you can squeeze into the crack. That will tell you if it’s expanding.
I would also suggest making sure you don’t have rain water collecting anywhere next to the house. If you have downspouts, make they’re they’re diverted away from the house as much as possible.
Doesn’t look like anything serious. Keep an eye on it.
