Cracks In Concrete Basement Floor

[Terence McCann]

Hello All:

Will be doing a home inspection on Tuesday afternoon. During our phone conversation the client spoke about numerous cracks in the basement floor. He stated that there were "many" cracks in the floor however, they were not uneven (high & low spots).

The home was built in '98.

Bad mix, dried out to quick?

Any thoughts before I go out?

TIA.

[Jim Morrison]

Terry,

It's tough to find an uncracked concrete floor slab in my area, regardless of when it was placed. Chances are good that your client is just a bit nervous over nothing. Bring a camera along and post some pics if you like, but my guess is, it's nothing.

Unless control joints are cut strategically into the floor, they'll all crack. Most people just seal 'em and forget 'em -or just forget 'em.

Good Luck,

[chrisprickett]

Terence,

Check out this site:

http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete ... index.html

Good stuff!

[Terence McCann]

Thanks guys.

Chris, that link goes in the live well.

[kurt]

It's part of the continuing downward spiral of trade competency. The guys pouring bsmt. floors are usually the dog troops, & have never been schooled in what concrete is or how it behaves.

To make slurrying the mud to the corners easier, they soup it up w/ WAY too much water; too much water = crappy concrete. Couple that w/ the usual uncompacted subgrade soil & other crappy installation practices, & the stuff cracks.

Contrary to Jim's post, they don't all crack; I could show you lots of concrete floors here in Chicago that were done in the 50's w/ no control joints whatsoever, and no cracks. These are floors that pitch 1/8" per foot to floor drains over the entire bsmt., and are finished so nicely the concrete doesn't "dust" even a tiny bit.

[chrisprickett]

Originally posted by kurt

It's part of the continuing downward spiral of trade competency. The guys pouring bsmt. floors are usually the dog troops, & have never been schooled in what concrete is or how it behaves.

To make slurrying the mud to the corners easier, they soup it up w/ WAY too much water; too much water = crappy concrete. Couple that w/ the usual uncompacted subgrade soil & other crappy installation practices, & the stuff cracks.

Contrary to Jim's post, they don't all crack; I could show you lots of concrete floors here in Chicago that were done in the 50's w/ no control joints whatsoever, and no cracks. These are floors that pitch 1/8" per foot to floor drains over the entire bsmt., and are finished so nicely the concrete doesn't "dust" even a tiny bit.

That's when a "smoke was a smoke".

These days, you can't find a slab that doesn't crack. At least no in AZ.

[Jim Morrison]

Originally posted by kurt

Contrary to Jim's post, they don't all crack; I could show you lots of concrete floors here in Chicago that were done in the 50's w/ no control joints whatsoever, and no cracks. These are floors that pitch 1/8" per foot to floor drains over the entire bsmt., and are finished so nicely the concrete doesn't "dust" even a tiny bit.

Shit, Kurt -that comparison aint fair. In 1950's Chicago they were pouring basement floors over an 18 inch layer of compacted teamsters.

[crusty]

Originally posted by Jim Morrison

Originally posted by kurt

Contrary to Jim's post, they don't all crack; I could show you lots of concrete floors here in Chicago that were done in the 50's w/ no control joints whatsoever, and no cracks. These are floors that pitch 1/8" per foot to floor drains over the entire bsmt., and are finished so nicely the concrete doesn't "dust" even a tiny bit.

Shit, Kurt -that comparison aint fair. In 1950's Chicago they were pouring basement floors over an 18 inch layer of compacted teamsters.

LMAO! ROFL![:-bonc01][:-bonc01]

[kurt]

Originally posted by Jim Morrison

Shit, Kurt -that comparison aint fair. In 1950's Chicago they were pouring basement floors over an 18 inch layer of compacted teamsters.

That's good stuff; I'm stealing it.

[Jim Baird]

My wife's grandad was a teamster in Chicago, and he independently confirmed those rumors to her. Remember too, that those specs apply to residential as well, and don't forget the added reinforcement of random firearms.