No matter how young or old a home is, cracks are common in concrete, and many aren't a problem. Concrete can develop smaller hairline cracks as it cures-- and it can continue to cure for many years after the home is built.
When cracks appear, the foundation repair specialists at Master Services are here to help. We are trained and ready to help you evaluate the cracks in your foundation walls. For a free foundation repair quote, call or e-mail us today! We serve Knoxville, Chattanooga, Johnson City & all of East Tennessee.
A home near Breaks, VA was over 100 years old and had cracks in its foundation. The owner was impatient to sell, but the last contract fell through after the cracks were discovered during an inspection. Our team provided the perfect solution: our helical pier system, which features giant screws that are anchored to surrounding soil. This prevents further break down and damage!
We dispatched our team to evaluate a basement wall exhibiting visible cracks and requiring additional reinforcement at a residential property in Vansant, VA. Our specialists utilized the Carbon Fiber Wall Armor system to rectify the problem. The carbon fiber straps, while equally strong as steel, eliminate the need for drilling or heavy equipment during installation. Furthermore, once the repair work is complete, it can be concealed seamlessly.
Master Services inspected a damaged basement wall at a home near Jewell Ridge, VA. We recommended our Carbon Fiber Reinforcement system, which involves soaking carbon fiber straps in epoxy, then pressing them against the wall. Once the epoxy cures, the straps provide stabilization and support to the wall.
Our team headed to a home near Raven, VA to look at some foundation issues. The owner was noticing some issues, both interior and exterior, including stuck doors and windows, cracks in the foundation, and uneven flooring. To correct any problems, Master Services installed our helical and push pier systems. These realign homes without requiring major excavation.
A homeowner in Richlands, VA sought help from Master Services to address sagging floors. Our team conducted a comprehensive inspection and identified the specific areas in the crawlspace that required support. To effectively resolve the issue, we utilized our dependable Smart Jacks system, specially designed for tight spaces. These specialized jacks offer durable support for weakened crawlspace beams, providing a long-term solution for sagging floors.
If you find a crack in your foundation and you're not sure if it's problematic, follow these three simple guidelines:
In many cases, the foundation wall crack has been there for quite some time and hasn't happened overnight. However, it's important to treat each foundation crack you find as a potentially serious problem. Your first step should always to be to consult a foundation repair professional for an inspection.
Monitor any cracks you find regularly. If you suspect that the crack is moving, spreading, or widening, then this is a strong indication that you have a problem. In this case, your basement or crawl space could be experiencing a foundation settlement issue, which will lead to increased damage to the home over time.
Keep an eye on the crack by marking the ends of the crack with a pencil. Then, draw several straight "alignment" marks along the width crack, recording the date next to every mark. If you find that the ends of the lines don't meet along the crack, then this may indicate the crack is not shifting evenly, and a foundation repair professional should be contacted.
Foundation wall cracks can sometimes develop leakage, as groundwater invades from around your foundation. This can be extremely frustrating and inconvenient for homeowners, leading many of them to try to plug the crack with epoxy injection.
When epoxy hardens, it forms a strong bond in the concrete, hardening into a rigid seal. However, foundation walls shift and expand with moisture levels and temperature. When the wall moves, the epoxy cannot.
In the end, one of two things will happen, the epoxy breaks loose or a new crack forms in the wall.
Leaking foundation wall cracks do not necessarily mean that a more serious foundation problem is present- some leaking wall cracks are not due to a structural issue at all. However, it's certainly worth having a contractor inspect and repair these wall cracks. Most home wall crack repair methods-- such as epoxy, urethane, hydraulic cement, and caulk-- are not effective ways to eliminate this water.
If you do have a structural problem in your Greater Knoxville home, it's very important that you repair it as soon as possible. If a foundation issue is identified early enough, it should be possible to repair the problem without digging out the foundation and rebuilding the structure. This is a much less costly, invasive, and time-consuming foundation repair, so it's important to catch the problem as soon as you can.
Additionally, repairing the foundation without rebuilding it will address the problem that caused the foundation issue. Rebuilding the foundation replaces the failed foundation wall with a new one - one that faces the same conditions that destroyed the original wall.
Here at Master Services, we use a variety of foundation repair products, including wall anchors and foundation piers. When our professionals meet with you, they can identify and explain the nature of your problem, suggest a solution, and explain why this solution will lead to lasting results for your home.
As a foundation repair contractor in Tennessee, we service many cities and towns, including Knoxville, Chattanooga, Johnson City, Cleveland, Kingsport, Dalton, GA, Hixson, Ooltewah, Cookeville, Powell, and other neighborhoods nearby. Contact us today!