Foundation Repair in Alphabet City, Manhattan

Local Conditions

What Foundation Problems Show Up in Alphabet City?

Old tenements and row houses sit on stone and brick foundations that have carried weight for a long time. Water, age and shifting ground cause cracks in cellar walls, damp stone and mortar loss below grade. Most of these are repairable, but some need an engineer first.

Alphabet City buildings are mostly five and six story walk ups. A tall old building puts a steady load on its footing, and any change in the ground under it shows up in the cellar wall first.

The eastern blocks sit low near the East River, and the area near Avenue C and Avenue D flooded in Hurricane Sandy. Water in the soil pushes on cellar walls and washes mortar out of the joints. Over time, the wall loses strength.

Cracks in a foundation vary a lot. Hairline cracks that stay the same size are often cosmetic. Cracks that widen, run in a stair step pattern or let in water need a closer look.

Many cellars here were dug long ago and altered since. Owners have cut openings for pipes, added shop fronts and filled in old coal chutes. Each change can weaken a wall if the patch was not done well, so we look at past repairs as closely as the cracks.

When you call, tell us how long the crack has been there and whether it has changed. A wall that has looked the same for ten years tells a different story from one that opened last month.