How do you know if a foundation crack is getting worse?

To determine if a crack is actively moving, structural specialists monitor it for changes in width, length, and depth over time. Active cracks indicate ongoing soil settlement or pressure issues requiring immediate stabilization, whereas dormant cracks are historic shrinkage anomalies that only require moisture sealing.

Dive Deep: Foundation Crack Types & Their Structural Impact

Not every crack in a basement wall means your house is falling down. During the initial curing process of a newly poured foundation, the concrete shrinks as the water evaporates. This often causes microscopic, vertical hairline fractures known as “shrinkage cracks.” These are almost always dormant; they happened years ago and the wall has not moved since.

However, cracks caused by ongoing hydrostatic pressure, soil erosion, or seasonal desiccation are considered active. An active crack is a dynamic structural failure. If a crack continues to widen, “stair-steps” through masonry, or shows differential offset (one side of the crack is sticking out further than the other), the foundation is actively failing to manage the load.

Professionals evaluate this using precision tools, sometimes installing a mechanical “crack monitor” over the fracture to measure microscopic shifts in millimeters over a period of weeks. If a crack is dormant but leaking water, we deploy flexible polyurethane injections to seal the water out permanently. If the data shows the crack is active, water-stopping is secondary; we must first execute a high-pressure structural epoxy injection to weld the wall back together and restore its load-bearing capacity.

Stop guessing about the structural health of your home. Have your foundation cracks analyzed by a specialist. Explore Foundation Crack Repair in Everett, WA