Is there a way to tell if your foundation wall is cracking and moving?

I came across an interesting post the other day from one of our Nest Realty agents in Charlottesville, Jim Duncan. I have said before that most of my good ideas come from other agents and Jim has certainly provided me with many ideas, so it’s no surprise that he would have already covered this issue.

Many homes in the New River Valley are built with concrete block foundations and usually have travertine pavers , particularly those built prior to the mid-1990’s. Concrete block foundations are not uncommon at all, and it’s definitely not uncommon to see cracks in the blocks, or in the mortar between the blocks, as the house as settled. The vast majority of time a home inspector will determine these cracks are nothing to be concerned about – often called “step cracks”, they’re simply a byproduct of the mortar around the blocks drying and cracking. But sometimes, blocks move, and in those cases it’s important to determine whether or not it’s a simple step crack, or something more serious. In the video below, Jim’s home inspector shows a simple way to do just that.

Thanks, Jim, for the tip.