I own a home at our farm that was built in 1946-47 and there are no foundation cracks (pier and beam with hardwood floors) in any of the original building. An addition was added in the 1970’s and there are some in the slab portion of it.
It depends upon a lot of things, soil type, rebar, the actual concrete mix, the content of the water, how much water in the original mix. The best concrete is placed not poured. How it is cured is very important too.
It depends upon a lot of things, soil type, rebar, the actual concrete mix, the content of the water, how much water in the original mix. The best concrete is placed not poured. How it is cured is very important too.
We have one more variable in New England.
Frost heaving.
As the ground goes below freezing, usually 4 feet down, but depending on water content and rock/soil, as much as 12 feet, the moisture/water in the soil expands.
This exerts a tremendous force on basement walls, rocks, etc.
Most houses have full basements here.
If there is not sufficient rebar, and the soil is moist, the walls crack.
There are other interesting effects.
Rocks are pushed to the surface, from a half an inch to an inch or so a year.
Any road without proper drainage underneath and elevation above the ground water, gets frost heaves.
These can be REALLY exciting, up to a foot high.
BTW, when it gets really cold for a long time, 20 to 40 below zero, usually at night, you can hear and feel the pops as rocks underground are breaking apart and/or moving around your foundation.
Our house is over one hundred years old, the basement walls are fine, the floor has many with hairline cracks.
When we moved in forty some years ago a friend’s elderly father told us all about it, they used mules and something called a Mormon board (?), scraping down a small amount with each pull.
The concrete was mixed by hand.
When adding a sump pit, I discovered the floor was only about TWO INCHES THICK CONCRETE on a thin layer of cinders.
The first time I replaced an old wavy glass window... I thought WOW, I have never seen a 2x5???
Not exactly the 1-1/2 x 3-1/2 we use today!
The kitchen wall has a wall thimble from the old cook stove. Hidden behind the cabinets.
About 100 yards out my front window is a house built before the US Civil War. Nothing special about my house.