Written by a licensed engineer. We sell no repairs.
Cracks, damp or water? Get the straight answer.
Independent guides that tell you whether a foundation, crawl space or basement problem is serious, why it is happening, and what a fix really involves and costs.
Start with what you're seeing
Horizontal crackLateral soil pressure: call an engineer
Basement air at 58% RHKeep it under 60% to limit mold
Seepage at the floor jointHydrostatic pressure: fix drainage
- Engineer-writtenChecked by a licensed engineer, not a sales team.
- Zero repairs soldNo booking forms, no lead capture, no installers.
- Measured thresholdsCrack widths, humidity levels and deflection limits.
- 4 countries coveredUS, Canada, UK and Australia terms and standards.
Three questions, answered in order
Each guide follows the order a homeowner thinks in: how worried to be, what is causing it, and what fixing it will take.
-
1
Is this serious?
A clear verdict comes first, based on what you can see and measure.
-
2
Why is it happening?
The cause behind the symptom, traced step by step in plain language.
-
3
What will the fix cost?
Repair options compared honestly, including when you need no repair at all.
Find your problem
Nine topic hubs cover the whole house, from the footing up to the ceiling stain.
-
Foundation Cracks
Read a crack's width, direction and pattern to tell harmless shrinkage from structural movement, then decide what to do next.
-
Settling & Subsidence
Normal settling or ongoing movement? Clay soil, heave, roots and drought.
-
Crawl Spaces
Humidity, mold, vapor barriers, and whether encapsulation pays off.
-
Basement Water
Leaks, floor seepage, sump pumps and drainage that keeps water out.
-
Damp & Mold
Black mold, humidity targets, condensation and rising damp.
-
Water Damage
Ceiling stains, wet floors, burst pipes, drying out and insurance.
-
Repair Methods
Piers, anchors, carbon fiber, injection and underpinning compared.
-
Floors, Walls & Doors
Sloping or bouncy floors, drywall cracks, sticking doors and what fixing them costs.
-
Inspections & Buying
Inspection reports, repair quotes, engineers vs inspectors, and buying or selling a house with foundation issues.
How wide is your crack?
Width is the first thing an engineer measures. A credit card is about 1/32" (0.8 mm) thick: if one slides in easily, measure the gap with a ruler or crack-width card and compare it with the scale.
- Measure the widest pointNote the date and mark both ends with a pencil.
- Check the directionVertical, diagonal, stair-step or horizontal.
- Look for movementOne side offset from the other, or growth over weeks.
Hairline
Under 1/16" (1.5 mm). Usually concrete shrinkage.
Fine
1/16" to 1/8" (1.5–3 mm). Seal it and keep a log.
Moderate
1/8" to 1/4" (3–6 mm). Get it checked if it grows.
Wide
Over 1/4" (6 mm). Points to structural movement.
Width is not the whole story. A horizontal crack, a bowing wall, or one side sitting out of line with the other needs an engineer at any width.
Most repair advice online is written by people who sell the repair
Search almost any foundation or crawl space question and the top results come from contractors and product sellers. Their guides are often detailed, and they still end with a booking form.
FoundationAnswers earns from ads and clearly labeled product links, never from the repair. That lets us say what a seller rarely will: you might not need this repair at all.
| What you get | FoundationAnswers | Contractor blog |
|---|---|---|
| Sells the repair it recommends | No | Yes |
| Says when no repair is needed | Always | Rarely |
| Measured thresholds | On every diagnosis page | Sometimes |
| Cost ranges with what's included | Low, typical, high | "Call for a quote" |
| Compares rival repair methods fairly | Yes | Favors its own |
| UK, Canada and Australia versions | Yes | Usually one market |
| Booking forms and pop-ups | None | Inside the article |
Guides homeowners need most
The questions people search for most often, each answered with a verdict, a table and a cost range.
How each guide is researched
Every page goes through the same four steps before it goes live.
Read the editorial policyReal questions
We start from what homeowners actually ask in search results and on forums like Reddit.
Standards first
Numbers come from primary sources: IRC, ACI, EPA, FEMA, CMHC, BRE, NHBC and AS 2870.
Engineer review
A licensed engineer checks the thresholds, the verdicts and the repair advice.
Dated updates
Cost tables and facts are re-checked on a schedule, and the page shows the date.
Guides for your country
The same problem has different names, rules and prices around the world. Where it matters, we write a national version.
Canada
- Weeping tile
- Backwater valve
StandardsNational Building Code, CMHC
United Kingdom
- Subsidence
- Rising damp
StandardsBRE Digest 251, NHBC
Written and checked by Rebecca Scherzinger, PE
Every verdict on this site reflects the judgement of a licensed geotechnical engineer on how foundations, soil and water behave. We never invent site visits, and we never recommend a repair because it pays us.
Found something worrying today?
Start with the crack guide or browse every guide by topic. Each one tells you what to do next.