Question about crack in exterior break wall.

[Todd Hodge]

Hi All,

My name is Todd, I will start out with a little information on the house, the house is located in Central, Texas it was built about 14 years ago and I have owned it for the past 4 years.

Now on to my problem, I'm a first time home buyer so it might be nothing and I could just be too paranoid. So about two years ago while doing yard work on the side of my house I noticed two small cracks in the same exterior wall. I have monitored the cracks for the past two years and haven't noticed any change in their size. The reason I am posting is I wanted some opinions on whether I should be worried about the cracks or that they are normal from the house settling. Please take a look at the photos that I have attached and let me know if it's something I should get fixed.

Thank You
Todd

3357233573

[ROBERT YOUNG]

Serpentine cracks. No adverse condition observed.
Unevenly supported by mortar during construction, manually shifted by the mason during erection, etc...
I see no concerns. Others might chime in.
Best. Robert
33574

[Todd Hodge]

Thank you for your response.

[Jim Luttrall]

Very typical to North Texas and expansive clay soils. I suspect for central Texas also but that covers a lot of territory. I suspect you have had slight differential movement over the years. Don't worry about it at this point. I would check around your house for any water ponding when you have a heavy rain. If any water stands next to the house, make a plan and correct to get it to move away from the foundation. You likely know this but try to keep the soil moisture around the foundation as consistent as possible. So correct any drainage deficiencies to get rid of excess moisture during the rainy season and water the soil around the foundation during the dry season. Don't build flowerbeds, etc. where they impede the drainage.

[ROBERT YOUNG]

Morning Jim.
Excellent point about distributing water away from the foundation.

80% of homes in my area have flat or reversed lot slope near the foundation.
In many cases, backfill has settled, eroded, or landscaping planes excavated the backfill, impervious soil, and substituted earth to add, planting plots, bushes and shrubs, next to the foundation and walk.:confused:

As for the serpentine mortar. I am not used to associating expansive soils without the presents of foundation cracks in my neck of the woods. As well our frost line is 6.5'.

Typically/usually, serpentine mortar cracks are in line with, or close proximity to, foundation cracks, that traverse diagonally to wall openings. Typically the lower right or left hand side of a window sill.

Upon further review of the OP post, Texas being the key, seismic activity, fracking tremors, earthquakes may be the culprit, but the location, unit starter courses, has me perplex.:confused:

Todd are there foundation cracks? Have any pics/images from further back?
Much thanks.

[Claude Lawrenson]

Based on your "monitoring" with no visible difference, and also on the minor scale to the size of the cracks, I would not be overly concerned. Obviously continue to monitor and "if" the condition opens up to a larger scale, than I would be concerned.

Seeing this scale of cracks on a 14 year old home is not uncommon.

[Todd Hodge]

Morning Jim.
Excellent point about distributing water away from the foundation.

80% of homes in my area have flat or reversed lot slope near the foundation.
In many cases, backfill has settled, eroded, or landscaping planes excavated the backfill, impervious soil, and substituted earth to add, planting plots, bushes and shrubs, next to the foundation and walk.:confused:

As for the serpentine mortar. I am not used to associating expansive soils without the presents of foundation cracks in my neck of the woods. As well our frost line is 6.5'.

Typically/usually, serpentine mortar cracks are in line with, or close proximity to, foundation cracks, that traverse diagonally to wall openings. Typically the lower right or left hand side of a window sill.



Upon further review of the OP post, Texas being the key, seismic activity, fracking tremors, earthquakes may be the culprit, but the location, unit starter courses, has me perplex.:confused:

Todd are there foundation cracks? Have any pics/images from further back?
Much thanks.

Robert thank you for the reply. No cracks in the foundation, only issues with the foundation itself is two corner-pops which are common in Texas which was documented in the home inspection prior to purchasing the house.