Sudden Concrete Cracks and Nail Popping
by
Amber Corsen
+2
Hello,
A couple weeks ago I noticed a nail pop in my bathroom. I thought it was random and ignored it. Well, 2 days ago I noticed a crack in my foundation and lots of nail pops in my kitchen walls. I walked around the house and found 8 more cracks ( approximately 1/4" wide at points). I walked my house and found nail pops in every room, both the walls and ceilings. Some have broken the gyp. and the heads are showing. I went in the crawlspace and noticed approximately 15 of the foundation cracks that extend from the top of the stemwall all the way down and to the bottom of the footing.
I'm confused... this happened so sudden. It seems to me like it's from soil movement but 1) the house is 20 years old and has had no problems 2) I didn't find evidence of water leaking or anything that would cause soil to move suddenly. I do have a mole problem in my front yard so maybe they have built elaborate tunnels under my house and the foundation finally couldn't take it and shifted to fill the tunnels.
I'm pretty sure I need to address what caused the cracks/pops before I start to repair them but i'm at a loss.
Any suggestions or advice?
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Have a consult with a soils expert and structural engineer. And get rid of the burrowing rodents. Normally I am not a fan of killing things unnecessarily, but if, they are in fact, contributing to the stability of the structure, then you have no other choice. Call an exterminator.
Hi Amber, I'm sorry to hear about all the problems you are having with your home. Has it been particularly wet or dry in the past month or so? Its important to have a consistent and proper level of moisture for your foundation.
I agree with Naomie. You have a soil problem That caused the structural problem. You need Pros out there to assess the cause and situation.
My brother has a house a couple blocks away and has noticed nail pops recently (he hasn't looked at the foundation). I asked my neighbors to look around their house and noticed foundation cracks and nail pops as well.