Why Are Boise Homes Cracking?

Primary Local Crack Drivers

• Differential settlement: one footing zone loses support faster than another.
• Shrink-swell clay cycles: seasonal wetting and drying create repeated movement.
• Hydrostatic pressure: saturated soils increase lateral load on below-grade walls.
• Drainage failure: uncontrolled water accelerates support variability and erosion.
• Frost and thaw transitions: shallow soil volume changes can shift loading patterns.

Crack Types and What They Often Mean

• Diagonal drywall cracks at openings: common settlement indicator.
• Horizontal basement wall cracks: can indicate lateral soil pressure risk.
• Stair-step masonry cracks: often linked to differential movement.
• Slab cracks with elevation change: possible soil support loss below slab sections.

When to Act Immediately

Schedule a structural inspection quickly if cracking is widening, doors are sticking across multiple rooms, or floor slope is increasing. Early intervention often reduces total repair scope and cost.

Next steps: foundation inspection, foundation repair planning, and drainage correction where water load is a contributor.

Engineering References

• USDA Web Soil Survey
• USGS water resources
• NOAA climate context