Foundation Repair in East Village, Manhattan

What Foundation Problems Show Up in the East Village?

Tenements and row houses here stand on stone or brick foundations that are well over a century old. Mortar washes away, cracks open and the cellar takes in water. Settlement can follow when leaks soften the soil or work on a neighboring lot disturbs the ground.

Most owners first see trouble in the cellar. A dry wall starts to weep, or a crack appears where none was before. Below grade shops add finish materials that hide problems until they are well along.

• Cracks in cellar walls that widen over time
• Mortar washing out of stone foundation walls
• Bowed walls below grade
• Floors above the cellar that slope
• Sticking doors and windows on upper floors
• Damp patches and white mineral deposits on walls

Cellar doors in the sidewalk and areaways at the front of row houses let water reach foundation walls. The walls beside them are often the first to crack.

Brick row houses on side streets often have a stone base under a brick or brownstone front. Cracks that start at a window corner and run down toward the base can mean uneven settling, so we record their width and direction at the first visit.

Tenements usually share party walls with neighbors on both sides. When one building is renovated or demolished, the shared wall and foundation can feel it. We photograph conditions so owners have a record if a dispute ever arises.

The area has no particular flood exposure beyond heavy rain, so most foundation problems here come from age and local leaks.