Basement Wall Cracks: No Problem? Or Signs of Trouble?

Owners don’t like cracks in concrete, and homeowners are particularly paranoid about cracks in basement walls. Every homeowner has heard a horror story about a sinking foundation or a flooded basement, so a crack in new concrete is a serious red flag. But which cracks are acceptable and which are signs of trouble? For some answers Concrete Construction asked an engineer, Willard Norton of Norton & Schmidt Consulting Engineers, Kansas City, Mo., and a repair contractor, Jim Bushby, president of Structa-Bond of Maryland Ltd., Jessup Md., for their views on the causes, significance, and repair options for foundation cracking.