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Building a Home

How serious is it? Crack in the basement floor...

16 years ago

We just purchased our brand new house about 6 months ago. The house was build/finished probably a few months before that.

Well, yesterday as we were moving and sorting some boxes that have been sitting there since we moved in, we noticed about 6-7ft long crack in the foundation/floor in our basement. It starts at the corner of one wall (garage wall on the main floor) and it's about 1mm wide at that point (about 3ft like this). Then it goes through the whole area (foyer above) as a tiny line to the "outside wall". We know the crack wasn't there about 2 months ago, when we were moving some boxes. It is scary, especially that it happened so quickly. We called our builder today, but noone can come to see it until Monday.

I know most of you, guys, are very knowledgeble - what can be done about it? I'd like to hear your opinions before we confront the builder about it. This is our second house, but our previous house was about 30 yrs old and we didn't see any problems in the foundation. Please, help!!!!

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Comments (3)

sue36
16 years ago
It's "probably" nothing. Concrete cracks and it can take awhile. We have a crack in one area where the concrete floor was too thin (we knew this, there is ledge under there). But we don't have any other cracks because they cut expansion joints in the floor, so the cracks are inside the cuts.

Have someone look at it, but a crack that small, with no change in elevation, no gap and no water coming through is probably nothing.
goldeneyedaisy
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you, Sue36 for your kind words. I hope you're right...

I just received an update from my husband who went looking around the house and found 2 cracks on the outside wall foundation (on both sides of the house which looks like it's connected somehow with the crack inside basement). I really hope this is not very serious, but I fear that it's not a good sign.

The crack is still small and no water comes through YET, but that may change very quickly as far as I know...
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We have a similar issue although our cracks are in the concrete floor in our garage, which consists of about six separate pads. When the house was inspected (privately) before the closing, I mentioned that there were a bunch of superficial lines in the cement, so the inspector mentioned it in his report. It looked like crazing although they weren't cracks--at that point. Fast forward ten months and there are now actual cracks in the garage floor. We still have boxes and boxes, and some furniture, in our garage and have never even parked a car in there yet. We have no idea how extensive the cracking is but it doesn't make me feel too good. Thanks for the reminder that this is something I've got to get moving on. One thing I plan to do is schedule another private inspection before our warranty runs out--and not with our initial inspector since he apparently missed so much. I'd recommend the same for you. Good luck!
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worthy
16 years ago
From the Construction Performance Guidelines for the government warranty programme I build under: "Condition--Concrete Basement Floor is Cracked. Cracks resulting from normal shrinkage are acceptable; cracks in excess of 6mm in width are not acceptable."

Same answer for poured in place and concrete block foundations.

You might find it useful to download the full Guidelines for the other 239 conditions it addresses.

Here is a link that might be useful: Construction Performance Guidelines

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