I'm a first-time homeowner and feeling a bit paranoid about my new place. After a heavy downpour over the last day, I noticed some cracks in the mortar. I haven't seen any water coming through this area, but I'm still concerned. Here's a link to some pictures: https://imgur.com/a/aQihYUp. Are these cracks as serious as they seem?
3 Answers
I had a similar issue in my basement because of expansive soil. My wall had about an inch of deflection, and I’m looking at stabilizing it with I-beams. It's smart to measure if your walls are bowing or get a professional inspection. Also, make sure you’ve cleaned your gutters and that the downspouts lead water away from your foundation. From what I've seen in your pics, it doesn't look like it's an immediate concern at all. Just keep monitoring it!
Those cracks look like step cracks in the mortar. It’s a good idea to have a structural engineer check it out, just to be safe. Do you know if this area is below grade or above ground? That can make a difference in how serious it is.
If there's no moisture coming through, what exactly are you worried about? It might not be as bad as you think. Just keep an eye on it for now.
Thanks for the thorough advice! I usually keep up with the house maintenance, but I’ve been swamped with kids' activities lately. I managed to fix some grading issues which helped a lot. I'm just a bit anxious about all of this. The previous owners really neglected the gutters - I pulled out a ton of debris recently, but no sign of bowing in the wall, so that’s a relief.