lak923

Hi-Newbie here.

Last spring I had an inground pool installed. The repeated driving of large trucks, backhoes, cement trucks etc. next to the house caused a crack in a foundation wall from a window corner almost to the floor. It is at an angle. There is a little efflorescence near the bottom of the crack. I would say it is a little wider than hairline, but nothing gaping.
It has been very wet here. The ground never dried last summer and now there is snow melt. We plan on fixing a dip in the ground where there is standing water caused again by the trucks compacting the ground. There is a 9 inch gap between the foundation wall and the concrete patio. We are planning to put in a drain there tied into a downspout.
Doe this sound like a good plan and is the crack someting to really worry about? I have read that the cause of the crack is as important as the fix but seeing as it was the truck traffic and nothing else I'm hoping it won't be a huge problem. We never had water there before this.

BTW-pool builder has disclaimer in contract absolving itself of any responsibility for cracked foundations.

Thanks so much for any information.

glennjanie

Hello LAK, and welcome to the Fourm:
The only way you could properly fix the crack is to dig down to the footer, tear the concrete blocks out and relay them, etc. etc.
No, I would not worry about the cracked wall and the new drain you are putting in will eliminate the small amout of water leaking in. Oh, if you want to finish the basement, you could caulk the crack and paint the wall with Dry-Lok or a similar product.
That pool builder was not on his first trip around the block, was he?
Glenn

lak923

Thanks for the info. No, the builder has been in business for over 30 years and is the busiest around here so I'm sure this isn't the first foundation they've cracked.
We have a poured foundation so your fix suggestion probably wouldn't work(i'm guessing) I should have included that info. I looked at the outside of the window today and I didn't see any crack-maybe it is just too smalll for me to have noticed but inside it is most definitely there.
Thanks again.

mudmixer

No crack out side and a crack inside means the wall was pushed in a bit. Poured concrete foundations can be difficult to repair.

Keep an eye on the crack to see if it is getting larger.

The repair method would depend on whether it is an active or inactive crack.

There could be no future movement, then you remedy would be a matter of sealing and waterproofing.