Wall Crack

Foundation Wall Crack Repair in Delmarva

a foundation wall crack on a New Castle home.

At DryZone, LLC, we can inspect your foundation at no charge, providing you with a written quote for a solution that's warrantied to stabilize your home's structure.

In many cases, we may even be able to close the cracks, straighten doors and windows, and return your foundation to its original position.

The problem:

You've noticed cracks in your foundation walls.

Telltale signs:

  • Horizontal or vertical wall cracks
  • "Stair-step" or diagonal cracking
  • Bulging, buckling foundation walls
  • Pushing in at the bottom of the wall
  • Sliding in at the top of the wall

How we can fix it:

Foundation wall cracks have several different causes, and each has its own unique solution.

Concrete walls may experience small cracks as they cure. These are normal and may be no cause for alarm.

If your walls are cracking due to foundation settlement issues, foundation piers may be your solution.

If your foundation walls are failing due to expansive soils, a wall anchor system may solve your problem.

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We have warrantied solutions that fix foundation wall cracks! Call us for a foundation inspection and free foundation repair quote today! We serve Lewes, Berlin, Easton, and many nearby areas in Delaware & Maryland.

Different Types Of Foundation Wall Cracks

Foundation cracks vary in severity from a simple cosmetic issue to a major structural problem with your home. However, even serious foundation problems, when addressed early on, can be quickly and permanently fixed.

Cracks form in foundation walls for three main reasons:

diagram of foundation push piers and helical piers stabilizing a ranch house foundation.

Repairing Foundation Wall Cracks

Whether the problem is expansive soils or unstable soils underneath your foundation, there are effective solutions that can permanently repair your foundation or structure.

Foundation Pier Systems are an excellent way to stabilize and potentially lift a foundation that is resting on soils that cannot support the weight of the home. Foundation piers are a permanent solution for homes that are settling, and they can be installed year-round.

diagram of a foundation wall anchor system repairing a cracked wallPush Piers stabilize foundations by transferring the weight of the home deep below the foundation, reaching to bedrock or competent strata.

Helical Piers are an excellent way to stabilize foundations when there is sufficient knowledge of local soil conditions. They are advanced into the soils underneath the foundation via a helical blade.

Wall anchor systems, like our Geo-Lock™ Wall Anchor System, are ideal for stabilizing and potentially straightening foundation walls that are buckling due to pressure from expansive soils.

Geo-Lock Wall Anchor Installation in Lewes

Wall anchors use the soils beyond the foundation walls to exert counterpressure on failing foundation walls. This holds the walls in place in the short term, and it allows your contractor to attempt to straighten the walls back to their original position over time.

PowerBrace™ foundation wall repair in Berlin

This solution requires access to the soils beyond your foundation walls. If exterior access is limited or not possible, we recommend installing the PowerBrace™ Wall Repair System as an effective solution.

Temporary Fixes For Foundation Walls

Many contractors will try to earn your business by suggesting a cheap solution that they know will not permanently solve your problem. Solutions that hide your issues, such as painting over drywall cracks or tuckpointing cracks in brick are short-term solutions only. If the cause of the problem is not addressed, the cracks will soon reappear, and more covering up and patching will be needed.

Additionally, attempts to seal drywall or mortar cracks are easy to identify, due to variances in the finish or workmanship. When tuckpointing brick veneer, it's especially difficult to match original mortar colors. And if you decide to properly repair your foundation later, these "patches" may need to be removed before the repair can properly restore your walls.

So in the end, you're not hiding anything! Plus, you have to disclose the problem anyways if you ever plan to sell the house.

(Click each photo to enlarge.)

Can I Have A Settlement Issue If My Foundation Walls Aren't Cracked?

A large drywall crack in an interior wall in Rehoboth Beach

Do you have cracks on the drywall on the inside of your home but no cracks on the foundation wall?

Your problem may be a sagging crawl space, and not settlement of your foundation walls. Alternatively, your floor could be sinking down or experiencing upheaval.

There are several foundation problems that can occur even when your foundation walls themselves are not cracking.

Sagging Crawl Spaces

Crawl spaces can sag when the support beams sink into the ground. They can also sink when mold and rot weaken floor joists and girders, or when too few crawl space support posts are in place to adequately support the structure bearing down from above them.

As crawl spaces sag, the floor above will also sink. As the floor sinks, it can pull on the partition walls attached to it, leading to drywall cracks.

More about sinking crawl spaces.

Heaving Or Sinking Slab Floors

When the soils underneath slab floors settle or are washed away, the floor itself will begin to sag. Likewise, when the soils underneath a concrete floor expand, the slab will begin to lift upwards.

Either way, the movement of concrete floors can lead to cracks along drywall and the floor itself.

More about concrete floors that sink or heave.

We Do Foundation Wall Crack Repair In DE & MD

No matter what kinds of problems you're experiencing with your foundation walls, our in-house team of foundation experts is here to help. At DryZone, LLC, we repair foundations throughout Delaware & Maryland every day,

We'd like to offer you a free, no obligation foundation wall repair quote to help you decide what repair solution is best for your home. Each of our free quotes comes at no obligation and includes an on-site inspection, a personal consultation, and a written estimate.

To schedule your free quote, call or e-mail us today! We serve Lewes, Berlin, Easton, and surrounding areas such as Middletown, Newark, Rehoboth Beach, Wilmington, Bear, Dover, Salisbury, and many areas nearby.

Looking for a price? Get a no cost, no obligation free estimate.