Thread: Horizontal crack above garage door

Hi all,

There is a horizontal crack above the garage door. It is fairly long and about a foot above the garage door. I am at a loss as to the cause of the crack as well as the impact it can have on the structure.

My best guess that the reinforcement rods (bars) are too close to the exterior wall. But it is only a guess.

Additional information, the house was built in 1989. Winters are cold, therefore if the cement staircase is not properly insulated underneath, it may heave upwards, which I believe is the cause of crack "C".

Your help is much appreciated
Thanks
Zane Remenda

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Hi all,
If anyone is interested, I somewhat answered my own question. I spoke to a cement foundation repair specialist. Here is what he told me:


· The cause of the crack is likely to be from two cause:
o Heavy vibrations nearby (such as oversized trucks, earthquake, etc.)
o It is possible that the reinforcement bars are too close to the edge.
o There are other possible reasons, and one can never really tell 100% unless you know the exact history of the home.


· At the time of the inspection, there is no sign of a structural weakness due to the size of the crack.


· However, not repairing the crack will eventually result in structural damage to the house.


· His estimated cost of repair was 35$ a linear foot. (Sounds reasonable to me).


If anyone has any differing opinions, I would be curious to know them. Cheers
Zane

Originally Posted by Zane Remenda

Hi all,
If anyone is interested, I somewhat answered my own question. I spoke to a cement foundation repair specialist. Here is what he told me:


· The cause of the crack is likely to be from two cause:
o Heavy vibrations nearby (such as oversized trucks, earthquake, etc.)
o It is possible that the reinforcement bars are too close to the edge.
o There are other possible reasons, and one can never really tell 100% unless you know the exact history of the home.


· At the time of the inspection, there is no sign of a structural weakness due to the size of the crack.


· However, not repairing the crack will eventually result in structural damage to the house.


· His estimated cost of repair was 35$ a linear foot. (Sounds reasonable to me).


If anyone has any differing opinions, I would be curious to know them. Cheers
Zane

The crack in the last picture was patched in the past and has now opened up more. What ever the foundation man may "Think" the foundation is still separating and needs to be stopped. Simply fixing cracks is not going to solve the problem of further settling and cracking.

Personally I would get an engineer to come in and take some measurements and discusss possible fixes for the future movement even it it entails piers to stabilize the foundation. To just suggest fixing the cracks for 35 a lineal foot is a patch, not a fix. You will have furhter movement and further repair in the future. I would bite the bullet and go the next step beyond the patch now and fix later method.

yes get an engineer, it appears to have a lot of cast in place concrete, I can see the form marks on the steps, looks like the rebar was not placed with chairs in the forms to maintain the rebar at proper elevation. can tell what those lines on the bottom of the slab are, cracks?

rebar is a foriegn matter in concrete and should look like artwork meaning parallel, level and tied properly,it has an effect when the concrtete is poured and in reaction. You may need a slip sheet in between the slab and bock work which may be some of the cause of the lateral failure.

the last picture looks like a pre cast lintel not full bearing on the wall

I am with the other two replies. Recommend a structural engineer. If the contractor who did the foundation can't get the obvious stuff right, you have to wonder about the hidden elements. I usually advise a client, when I see things like this, to ask the HOA about problems in the complex. Frequently, the HOA may be suing a contractor, or have many complaints about similar defects.

This is simply a bad design, and poor rebar detailing and installation. The cracks at the steps are due to lack of adequate bearing support. Patching is a waste of money, call a structural engineer.

Rusting steel expanding, prior patchwork isn't going to arrest the destructive process.

Patchwork merely cosmetic and will not arrest further deterioration/destruction, and will likely accelerate it. Structural remediation will be much more expensive than the cosmetic patch approach offered.

Thanks for your answers. I appreciate it.

Zane

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

The crack in the last picture was patched in the past and has now opened up more. What ever the foundation man may "Think" the foundation is still separating and needs to be stopped. Simply fixing cracks is not going to solve the problem of further settling and cracking.

Personally I would get an engineer to come in and take some measurements and discusss possible fixes for the future movement even it it entails piers to stabilize the foundation. To just suggest fixing the cracks for 35 a lineal foot is a patch, not a fix. You will have furhter movement and further repair in the future. I would bite the bullet and go the next step beyond the patch now and fix later method.

Something is still shifting. Has anyone checked neighbors homes?

The horizontal crack appears to be a seam. A separate pour was done to get height on wall.

Poor workmanship. Poor rebar placement. Poor concrete placement. Hit and run contractor. Refer to an engineer for a permenant repair. Patching is a waste of time and money. I, for one, do not like to refer an anything I see, but this is way beyond what a home inspector should be involved in as far as designing a repair. This will not be a cheap fix. Refer it and move on to your next inspection.

Repects