Tim,
We have cracked tile in our kitchen floor. I know this is very common with tile. But, we've discovered this crack runs underneath the tile in the cocrete slab thru the kitchen to our living room. The crack is 1/4" wide. Is this a MAJOR problem? The house is 10 years old and we are in the process of negotiating with a buyer. Any thoughts?
John
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John,
This is a tough question. I would want to know if the crack is growing in size. If the crack just happened and is getting bigger, it is serious. If the crack has been there for years, it may just be a standard concrete shrinkage crack. You may be able to fix the defect with a simple injection of a special concrete epoxy.
The bottom line is a professional structural engineer should be called in to render an opinion. In the future be sure to have 1/2 inch concrete steel rods installed in all concrete slabs to prevent wide cracks such as these. Make sure the steel is placed on two foot centers in both directions. The concrete slabs may develop a hairline crack, but the steel will prevent them from growing.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com