This is why it is important to hire competent and qualified personnel to work on this task for you.  With slope repair professionals, you can be assured that all of the above factors will be taken into account when designing a slope repair solution for your property.  Below are some of the common methods used for slope failure mitigation and repair:

Drainage:  Good slope repair professionals will always include drainage plans in the overall slope repair project.  As we have read in the discussions in the preceding sections, excessive water on slopes is never good.  To name a few compelling reasons: 1. it increases the weight of the soil making up the slope.  This makes it more vulnerable to mass movement of the soil.  2.  It decreases the cohesion between the particle grains making up the slope making it weaker in resisting movement while increasing the probability of liquefaction of the soil.  And 3.  Water runoff in slopes increases erosion while below ground; it exerts pressures that supporting structures may not be capable of handling.

As such, the slope repair plan must integrate drainage systems at its heart.  It must be able to efficiently channel water away from the slope without affecting slope stability or causing erosion.  Some methods for this are the installation of weep holes in retaining walls, French drains, etc.  To learn more about drainage, please read our post about it here.

Terracing & Benching:  the nearer a slope is to its natural angle of repose, the more stable it is.  This is why terracing or benching are popular ways of dealing with steep slopes.  This involves making the slope more manageable by dividing it into several smaller and less steep slopes reinforced by retaining walls, friction piles, etc.

Retaining Walls:  In residential application, retaining walls are typically used to increase the usable level area of a property.  Retaining walls are also used to stabilize the slopes surrounding a property.  An example is a house built on a hillside with steep slopes on either side of it.

As the name suggests, retaining walls are walls that are designed to hold a substantial amount of soil behind it in place.  Depending on several factors, different retaining wall designs can be used to effectively hold back the soil.  Take note though that you would need a City permit if the retaining wall you are planning to build is more than 3 feet high.  You can read more about retaining walls here.

Friction Piles:  friction piles, as the name suggests are basically piles that are driven into the ground towards load bearing strata.  These are sometimes used in slope stabilization projects where lagging or panels are installed between them to form a retaining wall that will prevent the downward movement of soils.

Sheet Piling:  This type of slope stabilization is oftentimes used for soft soils and areas where there might not be enough room for equipment maneuvering.  Sheet piles can be made of wood planks, vinyl or steel.  They are usually driven 2/3 of their length into the ground and installed in such a way that the sheets overlap.  For cases wherein the above-ground height of the sheet piles exceed the usual measure, anchors are used to tie the sheet pile faces to load bearing soil.

Rock Bolts: Much like friction piles, rock bolts are used to stabilize slopes that are composed mostly of fractured rocks.  The bolts connect the fractured and weak surface to the stronger rock layers underneath for slope stability.

Shotcrete:  Shotcrete is mortar or concrete that is pneumatically ejected at high velocities over a grid of rebars that have been sufficiently anchored on the slope face.  Use of this slope stabilization technique however requires the approval of the City and permits such as the Geologic and Soils Engineering Exploration report, survey and structural engineering as it is only effective on slopes wherein the face consists of bedrock.

Geo-grid:  the use of geo-grid is a cheaper slope repair alternative.  It works by installing heavy gauge plastic mesh in layers perpendicular to the retaining wall.  These different geo-grid layers are then sandwiched in between compacted layers of soil and secured to the retaining wall.  With geo-grids, stable steeper slopes can be achieved for a cheaper cost.

Biotechnical Slope Stabilization:  in layman’s terms, biotechnical slope stabilization is simply the use of plants and vegetation in stabilizing the slope.  As mentioned in the preceding sections, vegetation is good for slope stability for 2 important reasons:  1. their roots holds the soil together and prevents erosion and 2. Vegetation has the ability to slow down the rate of water flow.

As such, planting different layers of vegetation with alternating shallow and deep roots will be effective ways to stabilize the slope.  Some common examples of shallow rooted plants that are used for this method are shrubs, day lilies and clematis while Manzanita and juniper are commonly used to provide deep roots to hold the soil together.

The above mentioned slope repair or stabilization options can be used separately or together.  Sometimes 3 or more options are used together to address the unique characteristics of a slope.

Do it yourself slope repair however is not always an easy task.  Sometimes city regulations would require homeowners to apply for multiple permits or recommendations from several specialists such as geologists, soils engineer and civil engineer before work can be started.

This reinforces the advice that homeowners will do best by hiring not only a competent slope repair contractor but one that offers comprehensive service that will include assistance in acquiring the necessary permits and recommendations.  Sinai Construction in Los Angeles is one such trusted brand in the slope repair industry.  Using a wide range of expertise and technologies, Sinai Construction can deliver effective slope repair service for the most cost effective price.  Call them now for a consultation.

Cracks:

* Tension Cracks or Recent Erosion in Soil Parallel to Contours or at the top of a slope:  This is where the soil or rock layer usually breaks away from the main slope.

* New bulges or cracks are appearing at an increasing rate on the sidewalks, pavements or on the ground near a slope.  This may indicate that unusual stresses from the slope are affecting the structures and may lead to a sudden ground movement.

* Cracking or Tilting of the structural elements of your house:  Along with cracks in the surrounding area, the development of cracks or tilting in your home’s foundations or floors may indicate changes in the stability of the slope your house is on.  Take note however that the tilting or cracks may be due to other reasons such as settlement or loading so do get your house checked by a professional to make sure.

Tilting, Bulging or Movement:

* Dropped down or sunken road beds may indicate substantial ground movement preceding a larger landslide.

* Bulging of the retaining walls or the base of a slope may mean excessive hydrostatic pressure buildup.  This also means that drainage needs to be installed on the slope or the retaining wall in order to minimize the destabilizing effects of water  pressure build up.

* Leaning Trees or Curved Trunks:  This usually indicates long term and slow mass movement of the soil called creep.  Leaning trees may indicate recent movement while curved trunks indicate that the trees have tried to correct their dislocation in the past.

* Leaning or offset structures such as telephone lines, fences and utility poles also indicate mass movement of the ground.

* Ancillary Structures such as patios, decks, walks and stairs as well as the surrounding soil are moving away from the house foundations.  The house foundations are stronger in resisting earth movement due to their depth, the soil and structures around it however are only rooted shallowly and so may move away from the main structure.

* Broken Utility Lines:  Broken utility lines [water, plumbing, gas] are also indicative of movement by the house foundations.

* Sticking windows and doors:  because the house foundations support everything above it, its movement can cause the upper structures such as walls, doors and windows to shift positions.  As such, beware if your doors and windows begin to stick.

Water:

* Water pooling, saturated ground or springs appearing near the base of a slope indicates that there is a problem with the drainage of a slope.  As discussed above, excessive water can destabilize a slope and may cause sudden landslides and earth movement.

* The rapid increase or decrease of water in creeks may indicate sudden ground movement.  This usually happens when a huge amount of material is dislocated.  If you are downhill of the event, you will notice an increase in turbidity of the water along with its increase in height.

Sound:   A rumbling sound that is getting louder or the sound of trees cracking and boulders crashing against each other indicates a sudden mass ground movement in progress.

Prevention as they say, is infinitely better than a cure and in the case of slope failures, slope failure prevention measures are infinitely cheaper than dealing with the cost of the damage afterwards.  If your house rest on or is near a slope, do consult a professional to evaluate its stability and to give some advice or possible solutions to strengthen it against failure.  Sinai Construction is one such company that specializes in this service in the Los Angeles area.  Call now for a consultation.

Steepness of the Slope:  It goes without saying that the steeper a slope is, the more unstable it will be.  It’s true for making sand castles and it’s true for making hillside homes.  The natural tendency of steep slopes is to move some of its materials downwards until the natural angle of repose is found.  Any form of slope modification whether by natural means such as a stream undercutting the banks of a river or workers removing a section of the base for roads will impact the stability of a slope.

Water and Drainage:  Water is several times heavier than air.  During heavy rain when the soil becomes saturated and water takes the place of air between the grains of soil, the earth in slopes becomes a lot heavier. This becomes an important issue when the earth is being held back by retaining walls at its base.  If the weight of the earth behind the retaining wall exceeds its structural capacity, the retaining wall will buckle and collapse releasing the earth behind it in a catastrophic deluge.

Water, moreover, reduces grain to grain contact and thus cohesiveness and the angle of repose of soil.  Along with changes in the groundwater fluid pressure in slope rocks during the rainy season, water saturation by itself already increases the probability of mass movement of a slope.

Soil Composition:  The composition of the soil making up the slope is a very important factor to consider when talking about slope failure.  This is because different types of soils will have very different characteristics when it comes to frictional resistance to erosion and cohesion between the grains.  Loose soil or sand for example will have a very low cohesion factor and may easily erode when saturated with water.  Soils that have a large amount of clay also expands when exposed to water, this makes it heavier and more prone to movement.

Vegetation:  The amount and type of vegetation found in a slope is also proportional to the strength of the slope.  This is because vegetation, specifically its roots, holds the soil in place and makes it more resistant to erosion.  The bigger the vegetation, the more widespread the roots are – the more the soil is held in place.  The more vegetation there is – the better for slope stability.  This is why slopes that have had their vegetation removed or razed by bush fires are prime candidates for slope failures during the rainy season.

Bedding Planes:  A bedding plane is basically a surface that separates a layer of stratified rock or bed from another.  Think of it as butter spread between two slices of sandwich.  Because of their nature, exposed beds in a slope are also at a high risk for slope failure.  This is even more so if there is a weak layer of rock sandwiched in the bed.  To illustrate, imagine placing a panel of glass on a slide and a block of wood on top of it.  The contact surfaces between the slide, the glass and the wood are bedding planes angled downwards.  Even though the frictional force keeping the block of wood to the glass is strong, the glass-slide connection will be weak causing the whole structure to erode downwards.

Joints & Fractures – Joints and fractures are natural cracks in the rocks forming a slope.  These are caused by the natural expansion of rocks due to cooling or the removal of overlying rocks due to erosion.  Because of these cracks, the cohesion between the rocks making up the slope is greatly reduced increasing the likelihood of a landslide in the slope.

Sudden Shocks:  Lastly, sudden shocks like earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, the passage of heavy trucks, blasting and others may trigger the sudden mass movement of the soil in slopes.

From the above mentioned probable causes of slope failure, you will see that slope repair is not a simple task.  The application of band-aid solutions to this kind of problem may at best cost you some wasted repair money or at worst, heavily damage nearby structures such as your home putting your family at risk.  If your home is located near or on a slope, its best to consult a slope repair professional like Sinai Construction to asses the risks and perhaps install some slope stabilizing elements like the solutions presented on this post.

Los Angeles 1938, two storm systems from the Pacific battered Los Angeles for almost 5 continuous days dumping more than 9.4 inches of rain in just 6 days.  Three Area Rivers, Los Angeles, Santa Ana and San Gabriel overflowed.  The resulting flood destroyed more than 5,600 homes, damaged more than 1,500 others and killed more than 100 people.    Much of LA, Riverside and Orange Counties were inundated.

Los Angeles, January 1969:  9 days of heavy rains once again battered LA dumping more than 50 inches of rain on Mt. Baldy east of LA.  The Federal Emergency Management Association declared it a disaster area on Jan 26.  As the heavy rains saturated the area, a series of landslides [Glendora, Mandeville Canyon, etc] were triggered destroying more than 200 homes and killing dozens of people.

1980, 1983, 1992 and 1994 also saw heavy rains, flooding and landslides in Los Angeles with 1992 being the worst.  The 1992 disaster was caused by a stalled low pressure system off the cost of southern California which dumped nearly 12 inches of precipitation.  This in turn caused landslides, sewage spills and 70 stranded commuters in LA.

Perhaps the most recent of these floods is 2010 wherein heavy rains dumped half of Los Angeles’ annual rainfall in just 6 days.  This caused landslides in the hillsides of Interstate 10 near Pomona City, flooding in Highland which is only 65 miles east of LA and the evacuation of more than 230 homes in the foothill suburbs of La Crescenta and La Canada Flintridge where there was a high risk of mudlisdes.

All of the above however, will seem like a drizzle when compared to the superstorms that the scientists say wreak havoc every 100 years or so in California.  These storms can last for more than 40 days and dump 10 feet of water with winds reaching 125 miles per hour. Such a storm has been recorded in history 150 years ago when the Central Valley was inundated from 1861-62 forcing the state capital to be moved to San Francisco.  More catastrophic storms have also occurred in California over the past on 1605, 1418, 1029, 603, 440 and 212.  If a storm of this magnitude happens today, the total damage done will be more than $300 billion dollars and over 1.5 million people will have to be evacuated.

Looking at the recent history of Los Angeles floods and landslides and combining this with the superstorm predictions, one can say with certainty that slope repair is not an option but a requirement for California hillside property owners if they want to keep their family safe.  Fortunately, a Los Angeles Construction company – Sinai Construction specializes in these kinds of repairs.  If you want to strengthen your house against slope failure, call them asap for a free consultation.

Here are some examples of concrete crack causes brought about by defective workmanship or omission:

Inadequate Footing Preparation:  A rule of thumb when constructing strong homes is to provide adequate footing and footing preparation to avoid foundation settlement and to provide sufficient support for the rest of the structure.  Inadequate compaction or inadequately sized footings can caused the home foundations to sink and thus manifest as concrete cracks above ground.

Missing Expansion Joints:  Expansion joints are crucial elements in construction with bricks and concrete as the materials.  As the name suggests, expansion joints provide a way for the brick or concrete to thermally expand with minimal effect to the structure.  Failure to install expansion joints in brick walls may result in cracking and eventually loss of aggregate interlock resulting in possible wall collapse.  Similarly, the absence of concrete expansion joints around doors and windows may cause these elements to jam or become inoperable when the concrete expands and cracks.

Missing Steel Reinforcements:  Steel reinforcement is needed to strengthen a concrete bean or column against tension.  If the steel reinforcements are inadequate, the inability of the concrete beam or column to support the loads connected to it may manifest as concrete cracks.  Additionally, steel reinforcement is also needed on walls, particularly basement walls in order for them to resist lateral soil pressure.  Inadequate steel reinforcement on basement walls may manifest as horizontal concrete cracks.

Missing Beam Supports:  homeowners sometimes remove supporting columns in the basement to create more usable space.  You will notice this by the imprints or leftover materials of these columns on the underside beams.  The additional stresses in this area may manifest as concrete cracks on connected elements of the house.

Missing Control Joints in Slabs:  control joints are necessary elements in poured concrete slabs because they prevent the formation of shrinkage cracks.  While most shrinkage cracks are only cosmetic and of no structural importance, these type of cracks may allow the entry of water or radon into the home.

Specialized equipment is sometimes needed to correctly diagnose the cause of concrete cracks caused by omission and poor workmanship.  Moreover, a concrete repair specialist with a wide experience in the different causes and repair of concrete cracks is needed in order to provide the most effective and cost efficient options for homeowners.  For Los Angeles Homeowners, Sinai Construction is a great choice for this type of repairs as it specializes in foundation and concrete crack repairs as well as retrofitting.  Call now for a consultation.

Shrinkage Crack Risks

Shrinkage cracks are mostly only cosmetic and not structural in nature.  This means that aside from being displeasing to look at; they usually pose no great threat to the integrity of the house.  Cracks that propagate through load bearing members like the floor, beams or foundation however should be checked by a specialist as these may not be symptoms of shrinkage cracks but rather signs of foundation settlement, loading or movement.

Shrinkage cracks, when located on basement walls, foundations, crawlspace or basement slabs however add an additional cause for concern into the mix as they may allow entry of water or radon into these areas and may threaten the health of your family or structurally damage the foundations.

Cause of Shrinkage Cracks

It is only natural for concrete to develop internal stresses as it dries.  Shrinkage cracks that develop from these internal stresses however could be substantially reduced if one follows the recommended way of curing concrete including the installation of control joints which helps relieve the internal pressures that build up.  Concrete curing is a chemical reaction, not just “drying” or loss of water. But depending on the concrete mix, amount of water, portland, aggregate type, temperatures, humidity, groundwater, sun exposure, and other conditions, the amount of shrinkage that will occur in concrete as it cures will vary.

As such, to avoid shrinkage cracks, take note of the following advice:

1.  Right mix of concrete:  different elements of the house will require different concrete mixes.  If the mix for the basement wall, slab or foundation was incorrect, then you can expect shrinkage cracks to occur.

2.  Control Joints:  Control joints provide a way for the internal stresses of the concrete to be released.  With these, cracks are at most limited to control joints only.   Control joints however must be properly placed and distanced to be effective.

3.  Improper Curing:  Concrete needs a certain amount of days and certain conditions in order to reach its full structural strength.  This includes the amount of moisture present, the surrounding temperature, the number of days before the concrete supports are removed, etc.

Shrinkage Cracks Solution

Most of the solutions to prevent shrinkage cracks are done before and during the curing of the cement mix.  Existing shrinkage cracks are oftentimes repairable by simple plastering but for those shrinkage cracks that allow water entry into the home, waterproofing techniques may be used to solve the problem.  You can read more about waterproofing in this article.

In all the above cases, it is best to seek for professional opinion in order to make sure that the cracks are not caused by other factors like earth loading or foundation movement that may severely compromise the structural integrity of your home.  Sinai Construction offers free consultation services that can help you diagnose and identify solutions for concrete cracks in your home.

Failure to compact Pre-Slab Fill:  The ground where the slab was poured should be compacted beforehand to avoid or minimize foundation settlement.  Failure to do so may cause the foundations to sink into the ground until it finds sufficient support or until the ground is compacted enough to support the structure.

Construction over Fill:  houses constructed over landfills are in danger of foundation settlement unless the foundations are supported sufficiently by load bearing soil or bedrock.  If not, the foundations of the house may settle or sink as the fill debris decompose and compacts.

Local Geology:  Houses built on filled over ravine, ditches, streambeds are at risk of foundation settlement because of soil erosion underneath during floods, heavy rains, etc.  Moreover, some houses are also built on top of expansive soils that, as the name suggests, expand when water is present and contract during droughts.  This situation exerts pressure on the foundations of the house and may lead to differential settlement and cracking.  One of the techniques to determine whether the cracks were caused by local geology is to check if the other houses in the area also have the same problem.

Stepped Foundations:  Houses built over stepped foundations may also be at a higher risk of settlement.  This is common to houses built on hillsides where some of the foundation footings are higher than the foundation level of the other parts of the house.  In this case, the foundations uphill may be resting on more solid soil or rock that those foundations downhill causing differential settlement.  This is further exacerbated when excavated earth from uphill is used as fill for the foundations downhill.  In such cases, the earth moved downhill may not have been sufficiently compacted to prevent settlement.

For concrete cracks caused by foundation settlement, take extra care in choosing your contractor.  This is because the costs involved may be quite hefty and you wouldn’t want to end up spending a lot of money and finding out later that the repairs were only temporary because the source of the problem wasn’t identified and dealt with decisively.  For such projects, choose a contractor that has a proven track record of not just concrete crack repairs but foundation repairs, a contractor that has the necessary expertise to IDENTIFY the cause of the cracks and DEAL with it – if you suspect that the cracks in your home is caused by settlement, contact Sinai Construction for a consultation NOW.

It should be noted though that not all settlement situations causes cracks in the concrete and not all cracks caused by settlement are a cause for panic and expensive repairs.  A good concrete crack specialist will be able to recommend efficient, permanent and most of all the most cost effective solution for repairing settlement caused concrete cracks.  Below are the different type of settlement situations and the risks associated with them.

Initial Settlement:  As the name suggests, initial settlement is caused by the settlement of foundations of newly built homes.  As soon as the foundations reach a certain depth and sufficiently compacted soil though, the settlement stops.  At this stage, some cracks may have developed but will have stopped propagating as soon as the house settles over stable soil.  The severity of the cracks and its effects on the strength of the load bearing elements of the house will determine whether or not extensive repairs will be needed.  This means that if the settlement and crack propagation stopped before the load bearing elements of the house were compromised, you might not have to spend much to repair the cracks.

Continuing Settlement:  continuing settlement on the other hand means that the load bearing elements of the house are still being subjected to continuing stress and the cracks, if present, will propagate further and may reach a point where the stability of the whole house is undermined.  Because the settlement is continuing, repairs that may not be urgent now will be in the future and may become a lot more expensive if the other load bearing elements become affected.  As such, cracks arising from this type of settlement should be checked ASAP by a qualified crack repair specialist.

Uniform Settlement:  There are some cases of continuing or initial settlement wherein the whole of the structure settled uniformly.  In such cases, concrete cracks may be minimal or may have not started at all.  However, you would still need to have your house checked in this case by a professional to see whether or not the structure will continue to settle uniformly or if the integrity of the house is not at risk.

Differential Settlement:  As the name suggests, differential settlement means that different elements / parts of the house are settling at different rates.  This may be caused by a lot of factors which are discussed in this post but the important thing in this case is the fact that because different parts are settling at different rates, the load bearing structures are being subjected to stresses that they were not designed for.  In these cases, concrete cracks appear on parts of the structure most affected.  In time, these concrete cracks may prove detrimental to the integrity of the house.

Settlement is one of the biggest factors considered when it comes to evaluating cracks in residential homes.  Depending on the type, effect and magnitude of the settlement, the proposed repairs could range from the simple cosmetic to the alarmingly urgent.  If you have cracks in your home especially in its foundations, don’t hold off contacting a professional consultant like Sinai Construction.

* Insufficient Compaction of Fill:  Garage Slabs on grade are usually poured over a fill surrounded by a perimeter foundation.  One of the most common situations in this case is the failure to compact the fill before the slab is poured.  This leads to the settlement of the concrete slab along with the un-compacted soil as soon as load is applied.  The settlement in this case causes the cracks in the concrete.  This situation is further made worse by…

* Omission of Slab Reinforcement:  The lack of slab reinforcement in the form of a wire mesh or rebars may also make it easier for the concrete slab to settle over along with the un-compacted fill.

* Omission of Pins Connecting the Slab to the Garage foundation Wall:  For added strength against settlement cracking, the garage slab must be connected to the garage foundation using pins.  This along with slab reinforcement makes it more likely that the slab remains stable even in the event of the fill settlement.

* Shallow Foundation Footings:  Because the garage is just an add-on to the house, its footings may have been placed higher than the foundation footings of the house itself.  This makes it more vulnerable to damage from frost, earth loading, settlement or hydrostatic pressure.  Damage from these elements may present as horizontal cracks along the length of the garage foundation above ground.

* Poor Drainage:  Poor drainage causes some soil to expand causing stress on the garage slab and foundations.  Furthermore, wet soil will exert more weight or stress against the perimeter foundation of the garage.  This in turn causes cracks where the stresses in the concrete exceed its capacity.

To make sure that the repairs are cost effective AND long term, it is best to employ a trusted professional when it comes to concrete crack repairs in the Los Angeles area, contact Sinai Construction now for an inspection.

Horizontal Cracks in Basement Walls or Crawlspaces

Horizontal cracks sometimes manifest on basement walls or perimeter foundations doubling as a retaining walls.  Horizontal cracks that are propagating or widening in these areas are oftentimes symptoms of serious structural instabilities arising from one or several of the following conditions:

Horizontal Cracks Located in Upper 1/3 portion of the Basement Wall: A common cause of horizontal cracks in perimeter foundations is the presence of a cold joint.  This usually happens when a perimeter foundation concrete is poured in multiple stages during construction.  Ex:  pouring 4 feet of perimeter foundation concrete, allowing it to dry and pouring another 2 feet of concrete over it.  The joint between the 2 blocks of concrete then serves as a weak point wherein cracks may propagate.

Cracks in this are are also sometimes caused by unusual loading from a vehicle or equipment near the wall or frost damage.   In homes located in areas with frost, standing surface or subsurface water that freezes over also exerts considerable pressure against the upper portion of the basement wall causing it to crack.  This situation can easily be solved by ensuring that water from the rain gutters or lawn doesn’t pool near the perimeter of the house.

When a heavy vehicle drives by or is parked close to the basement wall, its weight pushes against the soil and this soil in turn exerts pressure against the basement wall causing it to crack.  In some cases, horizontal cracks in this area are caused by impact damage by vehicles accidentally backing into the building or things impacting the building during storms and floods.

Horizontal Cracks Located in Middle Portion of the Basement Wall:  Are commonly caused by vehicle and earth loading.  Vehicle loading means that the basement wall may have been exposed to excessive loading from a heavy vehicle or equipment parked nearby or it is too near the driveway or road.  Horizontal cracks due to earth loading may be because of basement walls that are not strong enough to support the weight of the earth behind it.

Some other probable causes of horizontal cracks at this level are hillside foundations where earth loading is made worse by frost and areas where the soils are wet frequently throughout the year.

Horizontal Cracks Located in Lower 1/3 portion of the Basement Wall:  Because earth pressure increases proportionally to the depth, the force pressing against the foundations because of the earth is greatest at the bottom of the wall.  This is further increased if the soil around the foundation has high water retention rate.  Sometimes the cracks progresses to portions of the wall being dislocated inwards.

Other manifestations of water, vehicle and earth loading in basement walls are wall leaning, tipping and bulging.  This happens when the walls are somewhat reinforced in such as way that the wall bulges, leans or tips first before displaying any cracks.  This situation may also be indicative of an imminent catastrophic failure so immediate attention from a qualified foundation repair specialist is needed.

Vertical Cracks in Basement Walls or Crawlspaces

Should there be any seismic activity, vertical movement or settlement of the house, the basement walls and perimeter foundations are usually the first places where you will find some indications.  To read more about these type situations causing vertical cracks, please read this article.

Diagonal or Step Cracks in Basement Walls or Crawlspaces

Diagonal or step cracks in basement walls often manifest when there is settlement or frost heave /lensing under the foundation.  In rare cases, these types of cracks are caused by creep where a portion or the entire wall slides away from its supports without bulging, leaning or cracking.  This is a dangerous condition especially if the wall is made of brick masonry as the wall bond courses may be broken and the wall is in danger of collapse.

Because cracks in the basement, crawlspace and perimeter foundation areas are more often than not structural in nature and affects the structural stability of the whole house, it is best that you should consult a qualified specialist capable of assessing the cracks and suggesting an effective solution that will not only cosmetically repair the crack but also address the forces causing these cracks in the first place.  Call Sinai Construction, the Los Angeles Crack Repair Specialist today for a consultation.