Cracked Bricks
Damaged bricks are not just a cosmetic problem; they indicate a serious issue with your home.
At Indiana Foundation Service, we understand how alarming foundation problems can be for homeowners. As homeowners ourselves, we are dedicated to offering prompt, efficient, and tailored foundation repair solutions to all Indiana homeowners.
Count on IFS to resolve cracked brick issues.
What Are Cracked Bricks?
Exterior brick cracks can appear in all shapes in sizes, frequently forming along the mortar lines between bricks. Look for these signs of brick cracks around your home:
- Stair-step cracks
- Horizontal cracks
- Vertical cracks
- Hairline cracks
- Deep cracks with gaps
These fissures are not always cosmetic issues; they typically indicate that your home may be experiencing severe foundation problems.
Brick cracks are often accompanied by other symptoms, including:
What Causes Brick Cracks?
Brick cracks occur when your home’s foundation experiences strain. Many factors can put stress on exterior brick walls, resulting in cracking:
- Foundation Settlement: When areas under your foundation sink or settle, it can disrupt the structure’s level and create an uneven weight distribution that strains brick walls. Foundation settlement is often caused by problematic soils like expansive clay.
- Extreme Weather: Heavy rain, drought, and freezing temperatures can shift or expand soil, putting stress on your foundation.
- Soil Issues: Expansive soil under your home can shift as moisture levels change, causing uneven soil movement that strains the stability of foundations and brick walls.
- Improper Drainage: Poor drainage allows water to pool around the foundation, weakening soil and causing sinking or shifting.
- Water Pressure: Excess soil moisture creates hydrostatic pressure against foundation walls, often leading to cracks and bowing.
- Tree Roots: Invasive tree roots that spread under your foundation can dislodge bricks and mortar by expanding the soil and wedging into weak points.
Can You Fix Cracked Bricks?
Cracked bricks can be repaired, and Indiana Foundation Service has three decades of experience. However, fixing the issue is more complex than re-grouting the mortar lines. The root causes of the cracking must be addressed first.
While temporary crack fillers and mortar repair kits are available at local big box stores, they do not offer a lasting solution. Since the root cause is a foundation issue, the cracks will persist and potentially worsen unless properly addressed.
Attempting DIY repairs on your home’s structure can also lead to unintended consequences. You should seek help from trusted experts like IFS to ensure the job is done right.
How to Fix Cracked Bricks
At IFS, we offer custom-engineered solutions to meet your home’s specific repair needs. These include:
Foundation Pier Systems
Foundation piers are one of the most reliable ways to address foundation settlement. We offer three types—helical, push, and slab piers—each with a different installation method, but all designed to permanently stabilize your home by reaching solid, load-bearing soil.
These systems use steel rods that extend from the foundation down to bedrock or competent soil. By doing so, they redistribute your home’s weight, prevent further movement, and may even lift your foundation closer to its original position, helping to close cracks.
Wall Repair Methods
When basement walls bow or crack under soil pressure, specialized wall repair systems provide lasting stabilization. Our solutions stop further movement and, in many cases, improve wall condition by reducing or closing cracks.
Wall anchors use earth anchors placed in stable soil, connected by steel rods to interior wall plates, to gradually pull bowed walls back. Similarly, wall beams attach to basement walls and brace against the floor and floor joists, forming a rigid framework that holds walls straight, limits cracking, and prevents future damage. Additionally, we bond carbon fiber straps to bowing basement walls with epoxy, providing exceptional tensile strength that stabilizes walls.
Why Address Brick Cracks Now?
It may be tempting to ignore small brick cracks, but doing so will only lead to more significant problems in the future. Here are a few reasons why you should address the issue immediately:
- Avoid Costly Damage: If foundation issues are repaired sooner rather than later, you’ll save money on repairs down the line.
- Prevent Moisture Damage: Cracks allow water to seep into your basement or crawl space, leading to mold growth and wood rot.
- Enhance Home Value: Cracked and crumbling brick walls can make your home less attractive to potential buyers. Structural repairs can increase your property’s value.
Contact Indiana Foundation Service for Cracked Brick Repairs
If you see cracked bricks forming on the exterior walls of your home, contact Indiana Foundation Service today. We will conduct a free inspection to diagnose the underlying causes and provide you with a same-day repair estimate. Our skilled technicians will offer solutions to repair foundation damage and stabilize your brick walls permanently.
Cracked Brick FAQs
If you see horizontal cracks on a wall, this could mean that the wall is bowing because of too much soil pressure and/or the foundation settling. This means that there is a structural instability that needs foundation repairs.
Regularly inspect key parts of a building’s structure, such as chimneys, brick, and basement walls, for small cracks that could lead to more significant problems. Address any issues immediately and monitor the building’s safety and stability over time.
Re-grouting the mortar lines won’t stop additional cracking. Resolve the root foundation issues first, then re-grout the bricks.
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Our Locations
624 North Front Street
Whiteland, IN 46184
2731 Albright Rd
Kokomo, 46902
8 N 3rd St
Lafayette, IN 47901