Brick & Masonry Cracks

If you have bricks or masonry on your home, especially the foundation, it is important to examine them regularly. Not all brick and masonry cracks are structural, but those that are can be a sign that you need to have a foundation expert check your home.

If you live in Oklahoma, contact Pierman Foundation Repair Services to see if the cracking is being caused by foundation problems. Our foundation repair services will keep your home safe and happy.

When examining your foundation for signs of foundation failure, it is important to check the bricks and masonry for the following symptoms:

• Vertical cracks: Hairline vertical cracks are often the result of minor settlement issues. If they stay minor and the cracks remain hairline in width, they aren't a significant issue (although if the wall is below ground level you might want to fill the crack to prevent water leaking through. Wider vertical cracks, vertical cracks that grow in size or areas with multiple vertical cracks bunched together, however, are a sign of problems, either in a masonry foundation wall or an exterior brick wall. Cracks caused by significant differential settlement, the kind that causes foundation problems, will often be wider either at the top or the bottom depending upon if part of the house on the far end of the wall or part in the middle of the wall is settling faster.
• Stair-step cracks: Stair-step shaped cracks often indicate that the foundation has started to settle or deteriorate. When settlement occurs, it throws the house out of alignment. This stresses the masonry walls, causing stair step cracks along the mortar lines.
• Horizontal cracks: Horizontal cracks in masonry walls, especially when accompanied by bowing, are among the most serious because they indicate a problem that is only going to keep getting worse until it is fixed or the wall fails. These cracks either indicate that pressure is pushing in on the wall (this often occurs with below-ground block walls) or deterioration or overloading is placing too much pressure on the wall from above. In either case, it should be examined by an expert in the field.

Other brick problems are simply problems with the bricks and not necessarily indicative of other structural issues. These include:

• Crumbling mortar: While cracks along mortar lines can indicate larger problems, crumbling mortar can often be just that. This is especially true if the issue only affects the mortar near the surface. Mortar, especially older-style mortars, don't last as long as bricks. This means that the portion that is exposed to the elements will occasionally need to be replaced. There are likely masonry experts in your area who specialize in repointing.
• Spalling or flaking brick: Bricks on which the front is spalling (flaking off) should be dealt with, but the problem likely doesn't extend beyond the bricks. Often this is caused by water infiltrating the brick and then freezing and thawing repeatedly over the winter, weakening the bricks.

Fixing the Underlying Issues Causing Masonry Cracks

Although not all of these brick or masonry issues are signs of foundation failure, some are. In these cases the best method of addressing the problems that are affecting the brick and masonry in your home is to fix the foundation failure underneath the home. If the problem is foundation settlement or shifting, the most effective method is usually underpinning with piers such as helical piers or steel push piers. The piers support and re-position sinking foundations and stabilize them to prevent further failure.

Wondering If Your Masonry Cracks Indicate Foundation Problems? Give Us a Call

For more information regarding our foundation repair services, contact us today.