my house is a 100 years old.looks like there arre some new cracks in my basement floor.my mom pointed them out i hadnt noticed them.seems like over the last week they have gotten worse.in jan of 2011 i put a 300 in a corner.figured by using cynder blocks it would help spread out the weight.will a 300 crack a cement floor?or is my house just shifting and setteling?
floor cracks
- Thread starter jimmie d wad
- Start date
Hello; Are you by any chance in a long period without rain or on the other hand having a lot of rain? When soil begins to really dry out it can move enough to crack water pipes and shift basements.
If you have a lot of rain or do not have the gutters carring the water away from the house, it can cause cracks if too much is getting under the floor.
The weight of a 300 gallon might be over 3000 pounds which is not insignificant.
My guess is that nearly all cement floors have cracks, that the crack appears to be getting bigger should likely be checked. I had a crack in a basement wall when i moved in a couple of years ago. I found some microscope slide cover glass and epoxyed it to the wall over the crack. If the crack moves he thin glass will break. So far well over a year without breaking.
If you have a lot of rain or do not have the gutters carring the water away from the house, it can cause cracks if too much is getting under the floor.
The weight of a 300 gallon might be over 3000 pounds which is not insignificant.
My guess is that nearly all cement floors have cracks, that the crack appears to be getting bigger should likely be checked. I had a crack in a basement wall when i moved in a couple of years ago. I found some microscope slide cover glass and epoxyed it to the wall over the crack. If the crack moves he thin glass will break. So far well over a year without breaking.
we had a 5yr long wet cycle now were going into a dry cycle.probably 3" short of precip for the year.the crack is in the middle of the floor whie the tank is onlt 18" from the wall.my walls are just 2 layers of house bricks.the way the floor is cracking and heaving looks to me like the side with out the tank is rising.the side of the crack that the tank is on also carries the posts for the center of the house.those arn't loose.like the floor is sinking under them.
In a 100 year old house who knows what you have for a foundation???? It could be way overbuilt or no real foundation at all. I would not expect a 100 year old house to start developing new cracks all of the sudden. Your situation would make me very concerned.
the tank is on the west side of the house.it apears the east side is tipping.up in the center and down against the wall. i say down against the wall because the top next to the wall is busting. from getting forced into the wall.
I would have an expert come out & inspect the place. might not have ANYthing to do with the tank.
Hello; Keep us posted on this as you gain more information. I am very curious as to what will tip up a portion of a house if that is indeed what is happening. The initial logic would suggest that the side with the tank to be settling.
Forces involved in a structure can be complex but are often straight forward once the issues are identified. I agree with the suggestion to look around outside the house to see if you can spot anything going on. If you do not come up with anything on your own it may be time to consider a look by a knowledgeable person. I was able to hire a structural engineer a while back to check out a prospective house for only a $100. 00. He was willing to take cash with no official report or paper trail. He spent a little less than an hour at the site and gave me an informal opinion which helped with the decision to pass on the property. A good contractor may do just as well.
As stated by others there is no telling what kind of quality is in an old structure. I have been suprised and a bit shocked at some of the poor quality work uncovered since begining to upgrade a house purchased two years ago.
i have i beams against the walls when i put those up i used a porta jack to stress them and put presure against the wall.the 3 on the east wall are loose.like i said for quite a few years we wee in a vey wet cycle.since last fall we have been dry. im thinking i need to water my foundation.as the ground dries out it pulls away from the walls.im thinking that the outter edge of the floor is drying quicker that the crnter causing the outside to sink.the side with the tank could be wetter since im not real careful with water when im chainging and usually just put a good amount of it on the floor.im on my way right now to see if the dirt is pulling away from the wall
Hello; I note that you are in ND. You likely have much deeper frost than I am familiar with. If the general weather has been different of late than what was more traditional, this could have something to do with the changes. An older structure will have settled into what was normal many decades ago and may be encountering stresses from entirely different directions.
I looked at one place where a large section of the garage floor was sinking. The inspector told me that it had been undermined by water due to improper channeling. He suggested a french drain system and that the floor be pushed up from below with pressure injected cement. I passed on that one as well.
I looked at one place where a large section of the garage floor was sinking. The inspector told me that it had been undermined by water due to improper channeling. He suggested a french drain system and that the floor be pushed up from below with pressure injected cement. I passed on that one as well.