Some cracks in walls are not a cause for concern, but others may indicate a sinking or damaged foundation (subsidence). Damage to the foundation can quickly devalue your property if you do not address problematic cracks in walls.
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You can perform structural and cosmetic repairs mainmark.com on buildings and prevent existing damage from worsening by understanding how to fix cracks in plaster walls and other types.
Homes with cracked walls
Cracks in walls can be repaired with Mainmark’s level correction methods in buildings of any size, including residential homes. As soon as we arrive at your home, we assess the damage and determine what caused it. With the help of our engineers and technicians, we create a custom-made plan specific to your house’s needs.
It is common for houses that need to be re-leveled to develop cracks in the walls, which can occur both internally and externally. The foundations of these houses must be lifted and re-leveled. As the building is re-leveled, wall cracks usually close up, requiring only cosmetic repairs like patching and painting. It is most important that structural damage is resolved and that the house has a solid future. Compared to traditional concrete underpinning, our cutting-edge solutions are modern alternatives. As well as concrete slab floors, we can raise and reveal strip footings, raft slabs, and fill gaps in paths and driveways.
Cracks in walls are caused by what?
Types of soil:
Depending on the amount of moisture in the soil, loosely packed soils, sands, and reactive clays expand, contract, or wash away.
Roots of trees:
By absorbing moisture in the ground and growing, neighbouring trees and shrubs cause soil to move.
System of footings:
Structures settle when their foundations are inadequately designed or the soil is not compacted during construction.
Water in excess:
Whenever water pipes burst or crack, the ground absorbs moisture as it absorbs the sewage and rainwater.
Weather Extremes & Seasons:
As a result of natural disasters like flooding, droughts, and earthquakes, clay soils become more compressible and expandable, resulting in excessive foundation movement.
Building or renovating:
Construction activity nearby such as drilling or piling, or heavy road traffic can cause soil particles to shift and weaken the ground.
Why do walls crack so much?
The building’s foundation may have shrunk or lost its strength, resulting in large cracks. When this happens, the building sinks, causing large cracks. When this happens, it is usually caused by either too much or too little moisture in the soil underneath the settled section of the building.
Wall cracks: how to fix them?
For large cracks, lifting, re-leveling, and re-supporting the building is the best long-term solution. Underpinning is a method of level correction. During re-leveling, cracks in walls may close or become smaller (ready for patching and repainting after plastering or rendering). It is also common for windows and doors to begin working again once the repair is completed. It is traditional to excavate or dig up parts of the foundation, pour in concrete, wait for it to set, and then lift the building off the concrete blocks. Traditional methods, however, can be time-consuming and messy (often requiring weeks or months). While tradespeople are working on the building, you will have to vacate part or all of it.