Step cracks on brick wall - House settlement or foundation issue?? (color, ceiling)
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I am in the process of buying a 8 years old one story house (in Houston), found there are 2-3 areas on the side exterior wall have step cracks on mortar and bricks (photos attached). Cracks is about 1/8 inch or less wide. There is no sign on the slab concrete foundation of any visible cracks.
Anyone experience in these can let me know if it is normal house settlement or initial sign of foundation issue?
Last edited by allen3iverson; 08-30-2016 at 08:39 AM..
The Houston area is subject to a lot foundation issues. The Houston Black Clay covers a lot of Texas. Look at it like a sponge. When it's wet, it expands. When it's dry, it shrinks. You can have 16" of vertical displacement meaning the house is literally going up and down 16" from the driest to the wettest time of year. To limit the issue, you need to water the foundation at least once a week via soaker hose, about 30 minutes each side. That will keep the moisture under the house and it won't be moving around so much.
Assuming you have some mechanical skills. Take a 1/4" masonry drill bit in a drill and drill a hole at the ends of the cracks. Then fill the holes and cracks with mortar mix. You can buy a bag of mortar mix at any of the big box stores. Find a moisture tight container to put the left over dry mortar mix in and it will last for decades. You can point up the mortar on the house every spring. You would apply with the finger. The drilling takes the stress out of the crack and turns it into a hinge which stops the cracks. The mortar mix will dry a different color. Not to worry, give it about 4-6 months and it will turn the same color as the rest of the home. I would strongly suggest staying away from the "fix in a caulking tube" that you can buy at the big box stores. Besides being ugly and staying ugly, it doesn't last as long as doing it right.
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