What is the most common cause of a crack in my foundation wall that is not a shrinkage crack?
Most of the instances that I have seen, if your foundation wall is cracking it is because the soil beneath your foundation has not been capable of bearing the weight of the structure. This is caused by footings that were cast in standing water on mud, saturated soils, expansive soils, or materials that have fallen or been washed into the footing excavation, and not properly removed. Another common cause is a foundation which is exposed to rain water from gutters which do not direct the water away from the house. Make sure you understand why the foundation is cracked in the first place. This is very important. Especially if the fix is as easy as buying some splash blocks for your gutters and making sure the water doesnt pool against the foundation.
