Foundation Repair on the Lower East Side, Manhattan

What Foundation Problems Do Lower East Side Buildings Have?

Mostly the problems of age. Old law and new law tenements stand on stone or brick foundations laid over a century ago, and the mortar in them has worn. Blocks near the East River also sit on low ground that flooded in Hurricane Sandy, which put water against walls that had rarely seen it.

The Lower East Side has some of the oldest housing stock in the city, and that shapes the work. Many tenements have cellars that were dug by hand, with walls of rubble stone that varies from course to course. Repairs have to follow the wall as it is, not as a drawing says it should be. Our crews adjust mortar and stone size as they go.

Vibration also matters. Construction at nearby Essex Crossing and other sites has brought heavy equipment to the area. If a crack appeared after digging began next door, record the date and take photos, and tell us at the visit. That record helps an engineer judge whether the cause is nearby work or age.

We should be clear. Foundation repair here is mostly masonry repair below grade, with an engineer called in when the structure itself is in question. Larger co op and tower foundations are engineered systems that building engineers handle.

• Cellar mortar that crumbles and falls out
• Stair step cracks in brick basement walls
• Stone that has shifted or dropped
• Floors above that slope or sag
• White salt crust on cellar walls
• Cracks that have widened since last year

A dry hairline crack is usually watched. A crack that widens, a wall that bows or a floor that sags needs a closer look.