Foundation Cracks in New Construction

Seeing foundation cracks in new homes can be bothersome. There are so many reasons you may see cracks forming your home’s foundation. Here are some things you need to consider if you find foundation cracks in new construction. 

The Location of your Home

The location of your new home plays a huge role in the forming of cracks. While building your house upon an ideal combination of silt, sand, and clay, not everyone has that possibility. Areas with sinkholes put homeowners’ investments at risk. Among the places prone to sinkholes are Texas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Missouri, and Tennessee. Florida offers a map revealing sinkhole locations through the Florida Department of Environmental protection. 

The ways you can tell new home foundation cracks are related to sinkholes include the following:

• Rapidly growing cracks in your floors, walls, garage, sidewalk, or basement 
• Depressions in the ground around the home
• Areas high in limestone and gypsum
• Areas prone to flooding

If you believe you live near a sinkhole, here is what you need to do next.

• Check sinkhole-prone area maps. These maps are not 100% guaranteed, but it is a place to start.
• Purchase sinkhole insurance
• Contact a foundation specialist to check your foundation.
• Monitor the cracks in your home. Rapidly growing cracks are a need for concern.
• Develop an emergency plan.
• Consider moving to another location and see if you can preserve or salvage the property. 

Typical New Home Settling Cracks

Believe it or not, some cracks in the foundation of new construction are not concerning. Newly built homes expand and contract due to expansion in the dirt below. When rain dries up, the soil shrinks back to its original size causing permanent cracks. While cracks are not desirable, settling cracks are not an immediate concern. Your new construction may be settling in if the following occurs:

• Eerie sounds and creaking; imagine no one is home and you hear gentle footsteps upstairs. If you think your new house has ghosts, think again.  
• Small cracks that stop growing; these cracks won’t keep growing and remain small. 
• Even distribution of settling means the home is settling into place. As long as one area is not sinking more than the other side, your home is fine. 

Follow these steps if you see your home settling.

• Monitor the cracks and make sure they stay small. Measure them once every few days for a month.
• Call your foundation experts to make sure your foundation is not at risk.
• Monitor the sounds. Creaks and gentle eerie noises are fine. Loud-breaking sounds signal a much larger problem.

Incorrect Foundation Placement

Now and then, construction plans are not followed through with correctly. You may have incorrect foundation placement if you notice these signs.

• If you noticed cracks or uneven walls immediately following construction, this is a sign of an incorrect foundation.
• Large uneven flooring in the basement points to a poor foundation job.
• Asymmetrical walls, floors, and doorframes with minimal cracks may indicate your foundation was incorrectly set.

If you suspect a poor construction job proceed to:

• Contact a third-party foundation team that is highly rated. Your home may be able to sustain itself despite the imperfections.
• Contact a home inspector.
• Contact the construction company to see if they can fix or alter the error.
• Contact a home construction lawyer if you believe your home is a loss.

Don’t panic if you see a crack form. Consider the reasons they may be appearing. You will need to speak with the home’s builder or a foundation specialist. Until then, watch the cracks in your home to ensure they don’t grow. Hang in there until help arrives. If your home has foundation cracks, contact Atlantic Foundation. We can answer your questions and offer a free consultation if you live in Eastern North Carolina.

Atlantic Foundation is a foundation company located in Eastern North Carolina. Even though we are certified and accredited to repair foundations, we cannot guarantee your home is safe from sinkholes, uneven construction, or other environmental factors. We are not qualified to give legal or environmental advice. We accept no responsibility for injury, death, or loss due to the article information. This article does not guarantee that your home fits any criteria above. You follow the information above at your own risk. 

Sources
Sinkholes | Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Is Foundation Repair Needed? Real and False Problem Signs (Picture Guide) – Anchor Foundation Repair
Warning Signs of Foundation You Should Know About (structuredfoundation.com)
Sinkholes explained: How are they caused and what are the warning signs? – ABC News
Check Sinkhole Locations – Avoid Buying Sinkhole Houses | Interactive Sinkhole Maps
Foundation Cracks | What you need to know! (thefreemanlawfirm.com)