Foundation Cracks

DEAR TIM: Our basement has vertical and horizontal cracks from ceiling to floor on all sides of the basement. Additionally, there is a continuous crack at the level of the brick ledge (second course from the top). The walls leak with every rain and at times the walls appear to "cry". Many of the cracks are wider than a dime and there are 45 blocks that are split in the middle. Our builder (the house is two years old) represents this issue as "normal settling" and has recommended the application of an epoxy product, Florok to resolve the situation. We are concerned about waterproofing the interior walls (especially since we paid for external waterproofing) because we understand that this could cause structural problems if the water enters the CMU and is trapped by the interior waterproofing? Do you have any thoughts on our problem? Barb B.

DEAR BARB: I have quite a few thoughts to share. The first one is that your builder is a liar, inexperienced, ignorant, and/or suffers from partial memory loss. Well, wait a minute, you know what, he may be telling the truth. If he builds every house wrong like yours, he might actually believe that cracks like you have are perfectly normal.

Masonry materials such as concrete block, brick, concrete, stucco, etc. do not react well when you try to bend them. They typically crack. This bending force is called tension. On the other hand, if you try to squeeze or compress masonry materials, the are very strong.

Your foundation is experiencing both horizontal and vertical tension. The horizontal tension is from the dirt that rests against the foundation. This backfill is pushing against your foundation wall since it is really a retaining wall. The vertical tension is caused by poor soil conditions under the footer that supports the concrete block walls. Either poorly compacted dirt was placed under the footers or the soil under the footers was not strong enough to support the weight of your home at the level of the excavation.

Your cracked foundation is not normal, and I feel that you have a very serious problem. I would not hesitate to contact your builder and tell him that you now know the condition is not normal. Tell him that an epoxy cure is not acceptable. Epoxies are great products, but your problem is far more serious. Without looking at your foundation, I am already convinced you need a new foundation and one that has been engineered and installed properly.

You may have to involve an attorney and pursue legal action. I would ask your builder for a copy of his certificate of insurance. If he blinks, hesitates, or refuses to give it to you, then you know exactly who you are dealing with - a true snake in the grass.