Just about every garage floor is going to have cracks in it at some point. There are several reasons your garage floor cracks, and it is fairly common, so you don’t need to worry. Yes, sometimes the cracks can signal foundation issues in your home. However, cracks in your garage floor do not automatically mean that you have foundation issues. Before you hit the big red panic button, follow this process and figure out which fix is the best for you. After all, you deserve to have confidence in your home, so let’s talk about how to get rid of those cracks.
Differences in Cracks & the Different Types of Cracks
There are a plethora of crack types that could occur in your garage floor. Ranging from foundation integrity to poor concrete laying, there is not one umbrella cause for potential cracks. Every case is different, so it is important that you do due diligence on the cracks to ensure you get the proper solution. With that said, let’s look at the types of cracks that take place in your garage and how to handle those cracks.
Foundation Cracks
Cracks certainly CAN be a sign of foundation or structural concerns within your home. If you have a high count of cracks in your floor or the cracks are extremely long/wide, this is typically congruent with a settling foundation. However, there are other factors that you need to check for before you can be sure that your garage floor cracks are foundation-related. If you feel that your cracks are rooted in foundation concerns, you could benefit from some tips about foundation repair, specifically about the insurance coverage you could have on a repair job. This is the most extreme outcome, so there is a good chance that your cracks have a different underlying issue that is causing the crack.
Shrinking Cracks
When a house is first created, the concrete is not going to stay the same. During the curing/settling process, the concrete will naturally shrink in your garage. This is a very normal process and should not set off any alarm bells. These cracks are generally small and occur on the surface.
Poor Construction Cracks
Bad construction happens. It is not ideal, but not every construction company does things the right way. Due to this, the laying of concrete can be done improperly. Experts say that your concrete needs to cure before construction can continue on your home. This does not always happen, which creates a scenario in which noncured concrete is walked on, constructed on, and things of that nature. Due to this, the concrete is more fragile than normal and can crack easier. If equipment or laborers roll over this fresh concrete, there could be splintering cracks that occur. Once again, this is not something that is a cause of concern from a foundation standpoint. While it isn’t an ideal look for your garage, it doesn’t put the safety of you and your loved ones at risk.
Weather Damage Cracks
Similar to aging, your concrete can easily fall victim to weather conditions. While an intense event like an earthquake or tornado can create instant damage, long-term erosion from rainfall or other precipitation can also affect your concrete. Cities in our service area such as Nashville, TN, and Louisville, KY, often find themselves victim to heavy rainfall, increasing the chance of water damage in your garage floor. While water damage creating cracks in your floor isn’t a reason to freak out, severe damage can be done to other areas in your home due to water.
How To Tell the Difference in Cracks
Now that you are aware of the types of cracks, you need to know how to tell the differences in them in order to create a solution plan. As mentioned above, cracks that are due to concrete shrinking or poor construction will usually be small, surface-level cracks that do not provide much depth or length. Cracks that come as a result of structural/foundation concerns will usually be long, deep cracks.
While this is a rule of thumb, the best way to know the type of crack you have in your home is to get a professional to inspect your home. Professionals leave the guessing game out of the identification process and can inform you what type of crack you have, how it got there, and the best solution plan to fix your garage floor. Another bonus of getting a free inspection is that you can be informed of any other potential issues that are in your home. At this point, you know you have a crack and how to differentiate between different types of cracks, so how do you go about solving the issue?
The Solution to Your Garage Floor Cracks
The severity of your crack will determine the best plan of action. If you find yourself dealing with cracking from something like shrinking or poor concrete, the use of NexusPro is going to be your friend. With a lifetime of over 20 years, NexusPro fills cracks and joints while also serving as a sealant. It withholds against all types of weather and acts as a barrier between the effects of weather and your concrete. When you bring in TFS, we also have a sanding process that ensures your NexusPro matches the color of your concrete in order to give you an aesthetic fix.
Sometimes, the cracks in your concrete require lifting and stabilizing to fix. If you find yourself in this spot, do not fret. PolyLevel is the perfect fix for this level of issue. The PolyLevel Polyurethane is used by drilling small holes into your garage, injecting the PolyLevel into the holes, and allowing the foam-like material to expand and stabilize the area. The best part is that the PolyLevel can be used WITH the NexusPro, which allows you to get stabilization while also filling up those unappealing cracks in the floor. We understand that PolyLevel might be something you are unfamiliar with, so you can check out more about it.
To stay ahead of the curve, we suggest investing in waterproofing. When it comes to keeping water out of the garage, we have a specific process that we use. After identifying where the water is coming from, we start the process. Once the water source is found, we locate the low spot in the area in order to install the sump pump. After that, if there is water coming from a wall, we put a minimum of 3 feet of material on the wall to0 absorb the water and prevent it from seeping into the garage.
Additionally, we dig a trench a foot out from the wall and roughly a foot deep. The purpose of this trench is to put in Hydraway, which is our waterproofing material. The Hydraway is a form of drainage that ensures water can flow out of the garage without damage. Filling the trench, gravel is laid over the Hydraway to give the best scenario of water flow.
Once the water is directed into the pump, the pump will run the water through pipes that are placed in safe areas. The water, ultimately, will discharge in an area that is not harmful to the foundation.
We separate ourselves from others within the industry with this process. We double-layer the Hydraway material in order to give the best water flow in your garage. On top of that, our company comes with a warranty, a customer care club, and our pump has a separate warranty from the manufacturer.
Schedule Your Free Inspection Today
Get ahead of the curve and address your cracks by scheduling a free inspection today!
You deserve to spend more time enjoying your home than worrying about the safety of your home. Call us at 844-468-4674 to get back to enjoying your home!
