More often than not, we come across buildings that are peppered with cracks all over their surfaces. These cracks are often caused by defects in the ground, decaying fabric of the building, foundation failure, and some other imperfections in the building materials.
Even if these cracks are hardly noticeable initially, they can appear really unattractive over time and possibly cause structural issues.
What Causes These Cracks?
Cracks can be caused due to several reasons.
Cracking can be caused by ground movement. It can be because of clay shrinkage, vibration subsidence, heave, or settlement.
When the soft clay brick decays, it causes foundation failure, resulting in multiple cracks in the wall.
Chemical contaminants can also be the cause of cracking.
Cracks can also appear in the wall due to excessive moisture.
Look out for damaged drains as they affect the surrounding walls, causing multiple cracks in one place.
Thermal movements can cause the building materials to contract or expand. The constant contraction and expansion of these materials can also result in cracks.
Old buildings and historic structures can have multiple cracks in their walls due to old production.
Tree root growth can also be the cause of cracking in the walls.
What is the Shape of These Cracks?
Plaster is very sensitive to movement. Therefore, it is prone to hairline cracking every now and then. You must have seen numerous buildings that have hairline cracks. These are mostly made of plaster.
Multiple joints in the building have stepped cracks that might indicate structural movement. Vertical cracks can be seen throughout the building. These cracks are a result of a poor building structure. Foundation movements may cause cracks that are either wider at the top or bottom. Horizontal cracks are alarming. They may indicate that the wall is failing and about to fall.
Which Sizes of Cracks are Alarming?
There are all kinds of cracks. However, a crack’s size determines the nature of danger the wall is in.
Hairline cracks are less than 0.1 mm in width and require no immediate attention.
Fine cracks are up to 1 mm in width and can be easily treated.
Cracks that are 5 to 15 mm in width require immediate attention.
Cracks that are 15 to 25 mm in width are a result of extreme damage to the wall. Replace the wall sections and treat them immediately.
Cracks greater than 25 mm in width need major repair work and displacement of the damaged wall or window.
How to Deal with Cracks?
Crack injection systems can be utilized to deal with cracks in a wall. These systems prevent leakage and also serve to waterproof the damaged walls. It also helps repair these cracks and smoothens them for a long period of time. Call UPSPEC services and book an appointment now to get the best remedial services.
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