He also showed her how the soil sloped toward the house instead of away. Two simple fixes: extend the downspout 6 feet out, and add a little fill dirt to create a gentle slope away from the foundation.
One Saturday, her neighbor Hank, a retired mason, saw her staring at the wall. “You’ve got the crack stare,” he said, smiling. “Don’t worry. Most cracks in brick veneer aren’t a crisis. They’re just clues.” cracks in brick veneer
Hank walked her through it step by step. He also showed her how the soil sloped
Hank pointed to her downspout. “There’s your clue. That downspout dumps all the roof’s water right next to the foundation. Rain soaks the soil, soil swells, pushes against the wall, and — crack.” “You’ve got the crack stare,” he said, smiling
A year later, the crack hadn’t moved. Sarah learned that most brick veneer cracks are just the house breathing, adjusting, or complaining about bad drainage. Very few are emergencies. But all of them are worth listening to — because a crack that gets wider over time is the one that needs real help.