How to strengthen a cracked foundation

Strengthening the foundation of a private house is necessary in two cases:

the foundation or wall of the house has cracked;
The house will need to be reconstructed with an increase in its mass, for which the existing foundation is not designed.

The first case is obvious. If there is a crack in the foundation, it means something was done incorrectly, and the situation must be corrected urgently. And the second is not so critical, but requires minimal preliminary calculations.

But situations are different.

Just as cracks are different, so are their consequences.

In this case, there is nothing left to save, but such catastrophic consequences, as a rule, if this is not the result of a serious earthquake, are preceded by primary signals in the form of small, sometimes barely noticeable, foundation cracks.

Classification of cracks by location of occurrence

The main reason for wall cracking is uneven shrinkage of the foundation or its movement.
These phenomena may occur as a result of:

insufficient depth of the structure (in this case, the foundation will be affected by soil heaving forces). If the foundation cracks after winter, you can rest assured that you incorrectly calculated the depth of its foundation;
heterogeneous composition of soils under the building;
the occurrence of a load on the soil that exceeds the maximum permissible (this phenomenon can occur if the width of the foundation strip is insufficient: this is especially pronounced in the corners of the house);
high slope of the building site;
rise or fall of groundwater levels;
destruction of the blind area;
exhaustion of the operational life of the foundation;
use of low quality materials in construction.

Often the foundation is destroyed due to a banal violation of construction technology.

Foundation cracks can be classified according to the location of their occurrence:

A horizontal foundation crack is a common type of fault that occurs due to errors in masonry technology and incorrect selection of the composition of building mortars. Most often, horizontal cracks appear on strip structures built in stages. Horizontal cracks do not pose a significant threat; however, it is recommended to repair cracks in a timely manner to prevent their further development.
A vertical crack appears due to deformation of the foundation structure under the influence of soil swelling forces and from rising groundwater levels. The appearance of vertical cracks indicates the beginning of the process of destruction of the supporting structure, so they should be eliminated as quickly as possible. If the foundation is cracked vertically, it is recommended to strengthen the base of the structure cushion.

Imagine that after pouring the foundation and erecting the walls, vertical cracks appeared on the surface of the latter. Their formation can be explained by one of three reasons:

the soil composition under the foundation belongs to subsidence type rocks;
soil heaving in winter can occur unevenly, causing the foundation tape to break;
the technology for constructing the foundation was violated - a small amount of reinforcement was used for the frame, the walls were erected using concrete that did not have time to gain the required strength, low-grade cement material was used, etc.

To determine the nature of the damage and identify the causes of the formation of normal cracks, it is recommended to study their shapes and directions:

a vertical gap, opening upward, appears in the central part of the wall due to seasonal heaving of the soil;
vertical faults diverging towards the lower part of the structure are explained by soil subsidence;

similar consequences occur in cases where frost heaving lifts the corner sections of the foundation;
a gap stretching obliquely from the corner to the central point of the wall means that the backfill has sagged under the adjacent wall;
a crack running at a slope from the facade to the corner area means that a shrinkage funnel has appeared underneath it;
a gap on the wall resembling an arch – the foundation has subsided.

Diagnostics

So, the foundation and wall are cracked - what to do? First, it is necessary to establish the cause of this phenomenon. It is determined by the appearance of the crack.

If there is a crack:

located vertically, diverging upward - swelling of the soil occurs in this place;
vertical, diverging downwards - there is subsidence of the soil in the middle of the house, or swelling at the corners of the wall due to lateral freezing;
inclined, directed from the center to the corner - subsidence of the backfill of the adjacent wall has occurred;
several cracks converging in the form of an arch - soil subsidence occurred in the central part of the monolithic strip.

Causes of cracks

So, you have diagnosed the crack and found out that there are vertical movements of soil with weak bearing capacity (peat bog, silty sand, or embankment). As a result, the foundation of the house burst: what to do in this case?

The technology for strengthening the base is as follows:

with the help of jacks, the sagging parts of the foundation are raised to the design level;
holes with a diameter of 20-40 mm are drilled (this is enough to immerse injectors in them);
voids are filled with cement laitance, liquid glass, hot bitumen or synthetic resins.

The above injection compositions can reduce the water permeability of the soil (bored injection piles - device technology). As a result of this operation, its design resistance increases and instability decreases.

The disadvantage of this method of strengthening a cracked foundation is the need for professional equipment. A private developer will have to turn to professionals, whose services are expensive.

The injection method will be absolutely useless if the foundation has sagged in one place. In this case, other methods of restoring the monolith should be used.

What to do if the foundation of a brick or cinder block house is cracked? Repairing the foundation of a stone building requires great care (about repairing the foundation of a brick private house with your own hands). The main task of the repairman is to stop the process of further settlement of the weakened soil.

Therefore, it is prohibited to dig under the base of the foundation.

The only way out in this case is to erect a reinforcing and protecting belt-overlay on its outer side (or better yet, on both sides):

a trench 40-50 cm wide is torn along the tape at an angle of 35 degrees (the base of the foundation is not exposed);
the surface of the base and foundation is thoroughly cleaned of dirt;
destroyed fragments of the base are removed;
the prepared surface is treated with a deep penetration primer;
holes are drilled in the structure in increments of 60-120 cm (horizontally) in three to four rows in height;
Anchors are hammered into the holes and welded with reinforcement with a diameter of 10-14 mm;
deep cracks and places of crumbled fragments are filled with concrete using local formwork.

After this, the reinforcing mesh is attached, the formwork is mounted, and the concrete mass is poured (how to properly pour the foundation for a house). The distance from the formwork panels to the base is 5-15 cm.

Backfilling is done after the belt has hardened and been waterproofed.

What to do if the foundation is not cracked all the way through? Such cracks are usually caused by weathering. In this case, it is enough to target or plaster them, and then cover them with waterproofing or impregnate them with a penetrating composition.

Note to the developer: targeting is spraying a crack with cement laitance containing a minimal amount of quartz sand. The process is carried out under a pressure of 0.4-0.6 MPa.

It is easier to repair a crack in the foundation of a wooden house than a stone one: the log house can be raised and installed on temporary supports during repairs (read about how to raise a wooden house to repair the foundation). But even here, unpleasant surprises may await the homeowner. For example, in an old house, the lower crowns of the log house may be completely rotten by this time.

When lifting the house, they are unlikely to withstand the load, so you will first have to cut out unreliable places in the places where the jacks are installed.

In some cases, before raising a house, it is necessary to dismantle the roof - for example, if a chimney passes through the roof.

Reinforcement with piles

What to do if the strip foundation bursts, and the thickness of the loose soil layer under the house is so great that it is not possible to increase its design resistance (methods of strengthening a strip foundation)?

The technology of strengthening the foundation with piles can help here:

screw: they are immersed around the perimeter, and after the building is raised, their heads are tied with a grillage (can be metal). The house is being lowered onto a new foundation. This method is suitable for wooden buildings;
“bulls”: piles are driven (or screwed in, depending on their type) obliquely from opposite sides of the corner. An I-beam or channel beam is welded onto their heads, which will take the load from the above-ground part of the building.

We suggest you read: How to strengthen the foundation of an old house with your own hands
The length of the piles should be such that they pass through all weak horizons and rest on dense soil with high bearing capacity. The essence of this method is to repair a cracked foundation by unloading it.

Monolithic slabs are destroyed extremely rarely. But if suddenly such a nuisance happens and the slab foundation bursts, how can you repair it with the least loss? In this case, only replacement of the monolith - complete or partial - can help. Unfortunately, there are no other ways to stop the destruction of the slab.

You will have to dig under the foundation in places where it is cracked, strengthen the walls, remove damaged parts and fill new areas. They are mounted on pile or block supports.

But these manipulations will not guarantee the reliability of the repaired slab. The house will most likely have to be rebuilt.

laying depth is insufficient (soil composition is heterogeneous, heaving soils, freezing)
uneven settlement (house on a slope, soil heterogeneity)
destruction of the blind area
rise or fall of groundwater
poor drainage
incorrect calculations and errors in determining the bearing capacity of soils
low-quality materials and “savings”
loading the foundation to strength gain (70%)

If cracks begin to appear on the walls of the house, every effort must be made to determine the true cause of their appearance. If the foundation of the building is intact and undamaged, then the cause of the cracking of the walls is the gross mistakes made in the technology of their construction and operation. The nature of the problem can be individual and most unexpected.

the foundation, its cast monolith or block masonry burst;
shrinkage of the pile structure occurred;
the destruction of the supporting pillars of the columnar foundation began.

The reasons why the foundation of a house is cracked are almost always mistakes made during its design and construction:

errors in determining the load-bearing properties of the soil;
incorrect determination of the degree of water content of the site;
incorrect choice of foundation depth;
low structural strength of the foundation;
constant high humidity in the basement and subfloor caused by improper operation of the house.

The fight against cracks in the foundation and walls of a house comes down to two organizational and technological methods:

eliminating the cause of the emergency;
Repairing cracks and strengthening damaged foundations.

If frost-heaving soils and a high groundwater level are detected at the site, the following is carried out:

construction of an open (trench) or closed (ceramic pipes) drainage system, drainage of groundwater, lowering its general level;
installation of a wide drainage and insulating blind area (up to 3 - 4 m wide) around the perimeter of the house to drain the upper layers of soil directly under the building.

If there is constant humidity in the basement or subfloor, a search is made for sources of water supply and repair of water supply and drainage communications. If the cause of a cracked foundation is determined by errors in calculating its strength, in this case a decision must be made and a project for its repair or strengthening must be made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zYIOTom-bI

Before starting repairs to the foundation structure, it is necessary to determine the reason why the foundation is cracked and choose the right effective method to eliminate the violations that have arisen. The most common reasons why a foundation could burst could be the following factors.

If during the construction work on the construction of the base structure, violations of the mandatory technological process are made, then all these errors will lead to the occurrence of destructive deformations. Therefore, it is so important to correctly reinforce the base, consistently install the formwork system, select the correct grade of concrete mixture, and take into account the freezing depth and groundwater level in the area.

Another reason for the opening of cracks in the foundation may be a violation of the operating regime of house construction. For example, a homeowner decided to add a second floor to the existing foundation of a one-story house. Such an increase in load can negatively affect the load-bearing capacity of the base structure and significant damage will appear on the foundation of the house.

At the design stage of a building, it is necessary to conduct a geological study of the foundation soils of the building site and correctly calculate the load on the foundation structure. If for some reason such miscalculations are made, then significant deformation changes in the foundation structures can certainly occur.

Before starting to repair the load-bearing foundation, it is necessary to find out the reason that led to the damage to the foundation. To begin with, it would be a good idea to ask your neighbors if they are having problems with the foundation of their house. The fact is that in some climatic zones one can observe such a phenomenon as the movement of lithospheric plates. With this position of the soil, even correctly performed calculations cannot give a 100% guarantee of the future integrity of the foundation.

In case you are the only one who has problems with the foundation. And you laid the foundation yourself, and a little time has passed, then most likely the reason lies in mistakes made when laying the foundation for a house or cottage.

Often the main causes of damage are incorrect foundation depths, but in any case. If you notice cracks, no matter what kind (small or deep), immediately begin repairing and strengthening the foundation, since under the influence of precipitation, the cracks will increase and can move to the walls of the scrap, which will lead to the complete destruction of the building in the future.

Strengthening the foundation of a private house

When using low-quality materials during construction, not following the building construction technology, or simply from prolonged use, defects and damage to the foundation occur:

Leaching of concrete elements.
Delamination of the supporting foundation masonry, appearance of cracks.
Uneven settlement with the appearance of cracks in the slab.
Vertical breaks.

If such problems arise, the foundation should be strengthened.
It is impossible to predict in advance what loads the load-bearing element of the building will be subjected to. Strengthening the building elements is a series of measures that help improve the performance of load-bearing structures. Depending on the problem that arises, the methods of strengthening will differ from each other.

Organization of monitoring of a crack that has appeared

If the foundation and walls of the building begin to crack, you should immediately monitor them. A crack in the foundation can be located:

perpendicular (normal);
diagonally;
horizontally.

In size they come in:

microcracks;
large;
end-to-end.

Horizontal cracks in the foundation can be caused by technological errors made after it was poured. They are not so dangerous for the stability of the building as a whole and must be sealed during its façade repairs. Large diagonal and normal cracks in its foundation can pose a great danger to the integrity of the house.

Microcracks (up to 1 - 2 mm) in the foundation could appear for a number of reasons. They are not yet dangerous, but they need to be repaired, since water and frost will cause them to expand and gradually crumble the concrete in the damaged area. Large cracks (about 10 mm) must be monitored.

To do this, a beacon (a strip of cement or gypsum mortar) is placed on the crack. If after a few weeks the beacon turns out to be torn, then the situation is bad: the crack continues to expand, urgent measures must be taken. If the beacon remains intact, then not everything is so bad. Most likely, the building experienced a slight initial shrinkage, which soon stopped.

We suggest you read: How to properly install foundation formwork

When a crack appears in the foundation, experts advise monitoring the change in the size of the crack rupture to see if it will increase over time. The process of identifying the nature of crack destruction occurs in the following order:

The open crack should be carefully cleaned of any remaining plaster, dirt and dust.
Small gypsum beacons with a thickness of no more than 5 mm are installed with a certain pitch. After this, we monitor their condition.
If within two or three weeks the beacons do not crack and no new deformations appear, then the foundation structure is not in danger and the crack on the surface most likely formed due to shrinkage of the building.

Repairing simple cracks

Repair of simple shrinkage cracks is carried out in several steps:

First, the crack cavity is cleared of dust and washed with water.
Afterwards, the dry crack is coated to the full possible depth with a primer for external use.
The crack cavity is filled with special sealants or cement mortar with a cement grade of at least 500.

Clearing a simple crack

Let's figure out how to fix cracks in the foundation. The method of performing the work is determined taking into account the type of materials used to construct the external walls of the facility. If a crack has formed in the foundation of a wooden house, then the work is carried out according to the same scheme; for stone and block structures, the technology for repairing cracks in the foundation will be different:

the foundation of the structure made of stone or blocks is made of reinforced concrete frames mounted on each side of the foundation structure;
Cracks rarely appear on the foundation of a private house made of wood, but when this happens, you can lift the building with jacks, having first freed it from furniture;
how to repair cracks in the foundation of a brick building? There are two ways to do this: the basement wall is filled with concrete, but before that a steel frame is placed around the entire perimeter; Boring injection pile supports are installed. The second method is more effective, it helps restore an almost destroyed foundation, but the cost of the work is quite high.

How are simple cracks in the foundation repaired after pouring? The algorithm of actions is as follows:

the gap is cleaned of dirt, washed and dried;
the entire depth of the crack is treated with a primer intended for treating external surfaces;
void areas are filled with sealants or cement mortar M 500.

Expanding the support area

Before you begin strengthening the existing foundation, you need to make sure that the shrinkage of the structure has completed completely. Widening the surface of the sole is a classic option for strengthening the supporting part. In essence, it is a reinforced concrete cushion on which the structure rests. The method is simple, reliable and inexpensive. Several people can handle the job without using special equipment.

The amplification circuit takes place in several steps:

A small auxiliary foundation in the form of a support is laid along the perimeter of the building.
The sole is fixed over the entire area at marked points. The number of support points depends on the size of the building. The optimal step between them is a distance of 2-3 m.
Excavation is carried out along the sides, as well as from the bottom of the load-bearing surface.
A reinforcing screed is placed in the resulting space and filled with concrete mortar.
Air bubbles must be removed, otherwise the pillow will become porous and quickly collapse under the weight of the house.
On the sides of the sole the base is raised by 15 cm.

The creation of the pillow must be carried out in compliance with all technology requirements so that the load-bearing base is reliably protected and all the work does not have to be carried out again.

Expanding the support area

Another popular way to strengthen a load-bearing structure is to install additional piles . There are many types of pile technologies that increase the reliability of the foundation.

Crack repair methods

Methods for repairing foundation cracks are selected depending on the type of materials of the main walls of the building. For stone, brick or wooden walls, there are special schemes for sealing cracks:

Strengthening the foundation of a stone or cinder block house is done with reinforced concrete clips, which are mounted on both sides of the foundation.
The foundation of a wooden house is rarely covered with deformation cracks. But if this happens, then you can use jacks to lift the wooden structure, having first cleared all the rooms of furniture.
When strengthening the foundations of brick houses, it is possible to use two methods: fill the basement wall with a concrete mixture over a metal frame pre-installed around the entire perimeter or install drilled injection piles. The second method is very effective; with this method it is possible to restore an almost destroyed foundation, but the price of such strengthening is quite high.

Before strengthening the foundation, if cracks appear on the walls, it is necessary to choose the most suitable method for eliminating the occurrence of deformations. Modern construction technologies for sealing cracks in the foundation provide optimal recommendations on what to do in such cases. The following methods of strengthening the foundation are usually used.

First, the broken foundation is pre-cleaned of dirt and dust, and the cracks are filled with a repair solution. Under the deformed section of the structure, a small trench no more than 60 cm wide is dug in a checkerboard pattern to a depth of 200-300 mm below the base of the foundation. The open base of the foundation must be filled with concrete mixture and thoroughly compacted.

The pile method of strengthening a cracked foundation is the most effective way. There are several types of piles according to the method of their installation:

Screw piles. The simplest and most common type of strengthening cracked foundations, which does not require special skills. The pile design has the form of a pipe with helical blades at the end. When installing, the pile is screwed into the ground, only the tip remains visible on the surface.
Bored piles have a hollow structure 2 m high, into which metal reinforcement is inserted and after which the entire cavity is filled with concrete mixture. Before installing bored piles, wells are drilled in increments of 1.5 to 2 m.
The use of a driven method for installing piles is not suitable for dilapidated buildings, since the walls of the building may crack from impacts from the pile driver.

Strengthening the foundation with screw piles

Strengthening a broken foundation using additional reinforcement involves tying the entire basement part of the building with a reinforcing mesh of longitudinal and transverse metal reinforcement, installing formwork and pouring a concrete mixture of grade no lower than 200. This technology for strengthening the foundation is the most popular and less labor-intensive than other methods.

If foundation cracks appear, you should carefully study the recommendations and instructions for eliminating them. Of course, it is always more difficult to repair than to build, so it is better not to make mistakes and not to disrupt the technological construction process. Then there will be no need to strengthen the foundation.

The slightest deviation from the technological requirements for the construction of load-bearing foundations contributes to the formation of cracks. Almost always, the problem lies in the foundation of the structure, which can be secured using one of the available methods. But when the crack runs horizontally, the foundation has nothing to do with it. Today we will look at options on how to strengthen the foundation if there is a crack in the wall.

What should you do if the foundation of your house bursts?

In the case of vertical displacements of the foundation on soil with a low resistance to load effects from the mass of the structure, you should strengthen the foundation using a certain technology:

the foundation is raised with jacks. Lifting is carried out to the design value, while safety requirements are observed - unloading is carried out in partial or full volume using supporting elements. Just remember that it is necessary to lift and strengthen only that part of the base that has sagged;
holes are drilled to immerse injectors with a diameter of 2 - 4 cm;
empty areas are filled. To do this, it is recommended to use liquid glass, cement laitance, synthetic resins, and heated bitumen.

All of the above substances can reduce moisture permeability, strengthen unstable soil areas, and increase the design resistance of the foundation.

Other methods are not available to private owners; they are used by construction crews when restoring architectural monuments.

Unfortunately, the listed strengthening measures may not be enough, because subsidence of the foundation in a certain area in most cases means its destruction. In these cases, the foundation strip will have to be restored.

How to strengthen the foundation if there is a crack along the wall? Let's look at the options that are used most often.

Strengthening it is resorted to in cases where repair work has not produced a positive effect, and cracks in the foundation exceed the permissible dimensions.

We suggest you read: How to prepare a solution for plastering stoves

Suppose the strip foundation cracked under the weight of a wooden frame. In this case, the following actions are performed:

jacking locations are determined, and a pair of jacks are prepared for each. In addition, jacks are placed under the corner areas of the building;
we prepare steel or reinforced concrete slabs for the lower supports of the jacks, and scraps of metal I-beams for the upper ones;
lifting mechanisms are installed at the specified points;
the walls rise evenly.

How to repair a cracked foundation if a house made of aerated concrete or brick stone stands on it? Raising the walls without damaging them will be quite difficult. Therefore, the cracks that appear are closed and fixed with special metal belts.

If the foundation of a new house bursts, steel tires are applied to the damaged areas:

retreat two to three dozen centimeters from the crack and drill holes on each side;
steel crutches are inserted into the prepared holes, the length of which coincides with the width of the base;
a channel is welded to them.

The option of strengthening the foundation strip of an old house with a reinforced concrete layer is distinguished by its reliability:

holes are prepared near the cracks into which reinforcing bars are inserted;
a metal grid is welded onto their ends;
set up the formwork structure;
concrete mass is poured.

After filling from above, the repaired breach will receive an additional supporting surface that will absorb part of the load.

A similar method is used to seal thread-like cracks on a FBS base.

Cracks in structures erected on pile-grillage foundations appear due to subsidence of the support posts. The problem is eliminated by erecting a strip base, with the help of which the structure in the problem area is strengthened. So, if the TISE foundation is cracked, you will need:

parallel to the sagging wall, arrange a trench, the depth of which is equal to the deepening point of the piles;
it is used to prepare a tunnel under a sagging wall of a house or garage, bypassing pile supports;
a grid of reinforcement is installed and connected to several piles;
formwork panels are placed throughout the repair area;
concrete solution is poured.

Some people use this technology to repair slab foundations if the base slab is cracked or the floor is subsiding.

In the place where cracks have appeared on the base, it is necessary to dig a trench. Its depth must be at least 30 cm. The maximum size must correspond to the length of the crack. Ideally, you should “get to the bottom” of where the crack begins.

Deep and large flaws are repaired using reinforcing pins. To do this, drill a hole along the edges and in the middle of each with a hammer drill and drive reinforcing pins into it. Their diameter is selected individually based on the size of the damage to the base. The reinforcement bar should fit tightly into the crack, but in no case should it be driven in there, as this will only aggravate the deformation process.

The end of the rod should extend 3 cm beyond the foundation. When the rods are firmly mounted into the wall of the base, a metal corner or channel is welded to them using a welding machine.

If the strip foundation has burst and the cracks are growing at an alarming rate, it is necessary to begin a major repair of the foundation. In this case, corners and channels are indispensable. This will require thorough strengthening of the entire foundation.

At the first stage, it is necessary to dig a trench around the house, close to the foundation. Its depth should correspond to the depth of the laid foundation of the house. The width should be 50 cm.
Sand is poured into the bottom of the trench in a layer 15 cm thick, leveled and compacted.
The finished concrete solution is poured onto a layer of sand. The thickness of the concrete layer should not be less than 20 cm. A welded reinforcement frame is laid on top of the concrete mortar. The metal skeleton should not be deeply buried inside the concrete layer.
We should not forget about cracks. They cannot be ignored, since under the influence of precipitation they will continue to deteriorate. Small flaws are carefully repaired with cement mortar.
Deeper flaws are repaired using reinforcement bars. Their size is selected based on the size of the resulting void in the base. The rod should fit freely into the crack. You shouldn't hammer it in there with a hammer. This will only intensify deformation processes.

In most cases, it is not possible to completely unload the foundation of a brick or reinforced concrete house, so only preventive and partial repairs are carried out on it, which fix the damage already received, stop and prevent their development. A feature of light wooden buildings is the fundamental possibility of carrying out a complete repair of their foundation.

Preventive repair of the foundation of a building is carried out at the initial stages of its cracking, if the causes of the destructive processes are identified and eliminated, and as a result of long-term monitoring of it, the growth of detected cracks is not detected. The purpose of preventive repair is to seal the cracks that have appeared in the foundation and restore its integrity. During such repairs performed:

cleaning cracks (with brushes, compressed air, jet of water) from dust and dirt;
cutting a crack with a chisel so that its hidden cavities and deep passages are accessible;
sealing all passages and cavities with special putty or resin.

One of the ways to eliminate a crack in the strip foundation of a country house

How to fix the problem

It is almost impossible to completely unload the foundation to organize repairs. The solution is to carry out cracking prevention and preventative repairs. The existing damage is recorded. Their development is minimized.

It is possible to carry out major repairs of lightweight wooden buildings.

Preventive measures to save the base are carried out at the initial stage of cracking. The causes of destruction of the foundation of the house are identified and eliminated. Observe the surface of the base for a long time.

The main task of preventative repairs is to seal cracks. Restoring the integrity and aesthetics of the building facade.

During work:

clean damage from dirt. They use improvised means (painting brushes, metal brushes), equipment. Cleaning is carried out with compressed air and a stream of water under pressure;

Cleaning

use a chisel to reach hidden cavities and deep passages;
cleaned cracks and holes are carefully sealed with putty. Resin may be used.

Sealing cracks

Watching the cracks

Foundation cracks are:

perpendicular;
diagonal;
horizontal.

Horizontally directed faults are the consequences of mistakes made in the work. They do not pose a danger to the overall stability of the structure; they are sealed during the process of plastering the facade.

Large cracks directed diagonally and ordinary cracks in the base are considered dangerous.

Microcracks in the foundation, the parameters of which barely exceed 1 mm, are formed for various reasons. They do not pose a danger, but they should be sealed, since moisture and low temperatures can turn hairline cracks in the foundation into wide cracks, beginning the process of gradual destruction of concrete in this area.

So, what should you do if the foundation of your house is cracked? Experts recommend organizing monitoring to monitor changes in the size of the gap. The process of determining the nature of crack expansion occurs as follows:

the crack that appears is carefully cleaned from the dry plaster mortar and dirt remaining in it;
small plaster beacons are installed, the thickness of which does not exceed five millimeters. All that remains is to monitor the status of such tags;
in the case when the beacons have not cracked for several weeks, no new deformations have been detected, this means that there is no threat to the foundation, and the cracks that have appeared are shrinkage.

If cracks in the foundation of a brick or block house continue to increase, or a through-cut fault is discovered, work should be immediately organized to restore the integrity of the foundation.

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Strengthening technique.

We already understand how to strengthen the foundation of an old house. You can replace the supports of the columnar foundation, increase the thickness of the old foundation, or completely replace it.

Strengthening the foundation of a private brick house.

Almost every owner knows well how to strengthen the foundation of a wooden, dilapidated house. But if the house is made of stone, many additional questions and problems arise. To tie such a heavy house with metal fittings will require a lot of time and additional financial investments. To strengthen the foundation of an old house with your own hands, you need a completely different technology. Most stone buildings stand on a strip foundation. How to strengthen a strip foundation, what needs to be done for this?