The Crackman Podcast

In this episode, Adam shares an interesting story about a wall crack that went unrepaired for 40 years.

In our last podcast, Adam shared a story about ants pouring out of a basement wall crack. Creepy, right? What other kinds of things does A1 Foundation Crack Repair see growing out of old wall cracks? Adam shares a funny story from Dedham MA.

The wall crack repair business can be mundane at times, but all the years A1 Foundation Crack Repair has been in business, they’ve run into things that totally creeps them out. Check this story out!

We’re in the rainy season of Spring so the basement waterproofing industry business is picking up. In this episode, Adam explains why precast bulkheads leak and how you stop the water from coming in.

It’s kind of expected that an older home will develop a leak at some point. Is the floor & wall seam leak a normal issue A1 Foundation Crack Repair runs into? Adam explains why older homes can develop a leak at the seam where the floor and wall meet and what you can do about it.

A bulkhead is a structure that provides access to the basement and there are several different types. In this episode, Adam explains the different types of bulkheads and how A1 Foundation Crack Repair maintains and waterproofs them.

Is it common to have a leak at the seam where the floor and wall meet in a newer home? One would think newer construction wouldn't have problems like that but occasionally, it does. The CrackDaddy explains why and how he fixes it.

Does a musty basement mean you have a water leak somewhere? What could be the problem if a basement smells like mold or mildew? Adam Tracy, The Crack Daddy, explains.

If a homeowner is spending a lot of money to finish their basement, it’s only natural that they would want some kind of guarantee that they won’t have to rip it up in a year to fix a water leak. Is there something you can do to waterproof a basement to prevent water leaks?

Basement waterproofing is quite a broad topic. How do you waterproof a basement? Adam explains basement waterproofing at the 30,000 foot level.

Since sump pumps are operated by electricity, what happens if your power fails for a long period of time? Are you at risk of a flooded basement? Adam talks about battery back-up systems for sump pumps.

In this episode, Adam shares an interesting case study about a bulkhead with a cold joint and how he solved this mysterious leak.

Sump pumps are often used to pump water out of a basement when water leaks occur. Is that a prime solution or are sump pumps simply a Band-Aid for the real cause of the water problem?

Imagine the frustration a homeowner would feel if after all the expense of building an addition, the seam where the old foundation and new foundation meets suddenly starts leaking. What’s going on there?

Most foundations A1 Foundation Crack Repair deals with today are stone foundations and concrete foundations. But there are some structures they come across that have block foundations. What are the common issues they typically see with those?

Lally columns play an important role in holding up your home and keeping the flooring level. Since they’re so critical, how do you know when it’s time to repair or replace one? Adam shares his considerable experience with lally columns and when it’s time to call in a pro to fix one.

Stone foundations are found in old homes before the requirements of modern construction standards. So, if you are seeing dust and sand next to your stone foundation, is that a sign that it’s failing? Adam explains what to do.

Plumbers get a lot of calls to fix leaky pipes when in fact the pipe is fine, but the hole the pipe is going through is the actual culprit. In this episode, Adam shares his experience with leaky pipe penetrations and what you can do about them.

A home with a stone foundation would indicate that the home is pretty old. So, if you have a stone foundation, there are some things you should be doing to keep it in good shape. Adam explains.

Winter is here and as we know, homeowners like to postpone crack repairs until they start to leak. How much of a problem are the procrastinators looking at if they wait until Spring to fix a basement wall crack?

A customer recently sent A1 Foundation Crack Repair some pictures of a basement floor that looked like an alien jumped out of it. Why would a basement floor do that?

Cracks in concrete are as inevitable as death and taxes. So, if a homeowner starts seeing cracks in their basement floor, what should they do?

So the scenario is this. A home seller has had a long-time foundation crack in the basement floor or foundation wall. Should they be concerned about it? The CrackDaddy explains the options available.

Imagine a scenario in which a prospective home buyer notices a crack in the basement floor or foundation wall. How troubling is this? Is it something they should have fixed before they agree to a sale? The CrackDaddy opines.

We’re starting to see some freezing temperatures at night. If someone has a foundation crack, should they hold off until Spring to do it given the temperatures needed to cure a repair job?

Adam sent over a video showing water pouring through a basement window around the edges. How can something like that happen? Adam explains how water can start pouring through a basement window and what you can do about it.

So your concrete foundation wall or floor has become discolored in several places. Are you looking at an expensive repair bill or is this really nothing to worry about? The Crack Daddy explains.

As the Crackman has always said, there are 2 certainties in life: death and concrete will eventually crack. So if your foundation develops a crack, when should you think about fixing it? When water starts gushing in? The Crackman makes a special appearance to explain.

In the electronics world, a cold joint is a solder joint that looks good but doesn’t actually conduct electricity. What in the world is a cold joint when it comes to foundations? Adam explains.

Why does a home need a sump pump? And, what does it mean if you need multiple sump pumps? Adam explains and shares his thoughts on this cautionary scenario.

This is the time of year is when people start seeing more rodents in their homes than usual. Adam explains why rodent traffic increases and what you can do to plug the entryways.

Lally columns perform a vital role in your home. If it fails, your house is in trouble. Since modern lally columns are made of steel, it follows that rust can become an issue. What can you tell us about a rusting lally column?

Road construction is usually a pain for everyone around it, but this is a new twist most people don't think about. Can road construction really do a number on your foundation?

We hear horror stories all the time where people have been victimized by nefarious contractors. When hiring a basement waterproofing contractor, what can a homeowner do to ensure they hire a reputable contractor to avoid getting ripped off? Adam Tracy explains.

We all suffer from summer humidity. It’s terrible this time of year. In this episode, Adam explains how summer humidity affects a home’s basement.

Adam has another interesting case study in this episode. He sent some pictures for the blog of a house with a long horizontal crack at the top of the foundation, just above the soil line on the outside. He explains how rusting rebar can affect a home’s foundation and how the fix can be far less expensive than what the homeowner was led to believe.

In this interesting case study, Adam explains why a homeowner might find a mysterious water puddle in their basement every morning. Is it a phantom or something equally sinister? The CrackDaddy explains.

When you think of concrete, the last thing you think of is termites, given the little critters feed on wood and not concrete. What in the world do termites and foundation cracks have in common?

A1 Foundation Crack Repair has earned--through excellence, integrity, and hard work--over 300 5-star Google reviews. One that came in the other day where the customer was absolutely gushing about a call with A1 where they didn’t actually do any work for them. What happened there?

An insurance company cancelling a homeowner’s policy can be quite disconcerting, especially when it’s for foundation structural issues. A1 Foundation Crack Repair has dealt with this issue a number of times. Tony how A1 has helped customers get this situation resolved.

Adam shares an interesting case study about a leaking coal chute. He explains how he was able to stop the leak in this legacy apparatus no longer in use.

It seems to be a fad these days to lay down a fancy epoxy resin over the garage floor to spiff it up and cover up blemishes. Seems like a nice upgrade; but, is it a good idea from a concrete maintenance perspective?

The CrackDaddy extols another interesting case study...this time about a huge home addition that caused a major concrete foundation issue for the homeowner.

We all love the X-men character, Wolverine, who can self-heal wounds in seconds. But of course, that’s just fantasy. Is self-healing concrete pure fantasy or something that really exists? Adam Tracy breaks it down for us.

Spring weather can fluctuate wildly, going from freezing cold to quite warm in the matter of days. How does that affect how watertight a bulkhead can be?

There is a phenomenon in Massachusetts where some foundations in homes are crumbling for no apparent reason. In this episode, Adam explains why some foundations are crumbling due to pyrrhotite and what can be done about it.

It’s only natural for a homeowner to try and fix problems with their house on their own before calling in a professional. The Crackman has seen some doozies in his 3+ decades as the Crackman. Listen in as he regales us with some of his favorite DIY disaster stories.

It’s been a warm winter and now we’re just into Spring, which brings a lot of rain. How could that affect a homeowner’s basement?

The Northeast frequently gets hard, deep freezes. When that happens, A1 Foundation Crack Repair gets a lot of phone calls. Here's why.

It’s pretty obvious that fixing holes in a foundation is good idea, but why is it especially important to fix stone foundations in the winter? The Crackman explains.