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My neighbor's comment about foundation cracks got me thinking
So I was chatting with my neighbor Dave last week while we were both out raking leaves. He pointed out a hairline crack in his foundation and said he used to panic about those until a contractor told him most are just cosmetic. That hit different because I've been stressing over a similar crack in my 1940s house in Ohio City for months. Has anyone else had a foundation inspection that made them realize they were overthinking things?
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bettyroberts2d ago
Exactly what happened with me. My 1950s house had a crack along the mortar line near the back door. Paid a structural engineer $350 to look at it and he basically laughed, said these old houses flex with the seasons. Chipped out the loose stuff, packed in some hydraulic cement like @ellis.susan mentioned, and haven't thought about it since. Dave sounds like he overanalyzes everything but at least his contractor set him straight. I swear half this stuff is just normal aging.
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ellis.susan2d ago
Ohio City here too. My 1947 house has a crack that runs from the basement window down to the floor. I spent $400 on a foundation guy who just shrugged and said it was settling from 70 years ago. Chipped off some loose mortar and sealed it myself for 12 bucks. Now when Dave brings up his crack I just nod and keep raking. Most of these old houses look scary but theyre solid.
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