The Crackman Podcast

There is a phenomenon in Massachusetts where some foundations in homes are crumbling for no apparent reason. In this episode, Adam explains why some foundations are crumbling due to pyrrhotite and what can be done about it.

It’s only natural for a homeowner to try and fix problems with their house on their own before calling in a professional. The Crackman has seen some doozies in his 3+ decades as the Crackman. Listen in as he regales us with some of his favorite DIY disaster stories.

It’s been a warm winter and now we’re just into Spring, which brings a lot of rain. How could that affect a homeowner’s basement?

The Northeast frequently gets hard, deep freezes. When that happens, A1 Foundation Crack Repair gets a lot of phone calls. Here's why.

It’s pretty obvious that fixing holes in a foundation is good idea, but why is it especially important to fix stone foundations in the winter? The Crackman explains.

To some it may seem counterintuitive that you’d be getting a ton of water in the basement in the winter, but it happens quite a bit. Why is that? Adam explains why basements can flood, even during winter.

Over the years, we’ve covered a ton of DIY disasters but this case study involves a contractor who bit off more than he could chew. Adam explains what can happen if you start digging around your foundation without the expertise to do so.

Most homeowners know that having a large tree too close to the house can be bad on several different fronts. But what are the ramifications of felling one with respect to the foundation? Adam explains how felling trees around a house can affect the foundations of nearby homes.

In this episode, Adam has another interesting case study about a customer who was concerned about a rusting lally column. He explains how important it is to maintain one’s lally columns.

In this episode, Adam shares this case study and explains how leaking bulkheads can introduce water into the basement and how to fix it.

In this episode, Adam talks about an image he shared on his blog that shows a picture of a busted lally column and explains why it’s so important to address it with a professional.

Last week’s podcast was a warning of why it’s a bad idea to dig out a swimming pool in your basement. On the heels of that, we have another DIY self-digging project gone bad. Adam explains what happened in this fascinating case study.

We’ve had several episodes in the past that dealt with flooding so bad, it looked like the homeowner had a swimming pool in their basement. So, what if the homeowner actually wanted a pool in their basement? Is it a good idea to dig one yourself? The CrackDaddy analyzes.

In a newly constructed house, especially with today’s strict construction standards, the last thing a homeowner should worry about is the foundation the home is sitting on. In this episode, Adam discusses a situation a homeowner faced when this very issue came to a head.

Over the years we’ve covered many a DIY project gone bad on this podcast. On this episode, The Crack Daddy extols his thoughts about spray foam as a water leak prevention method.

A house fire is bad enough but depending on the severity of the damage, you might be able to save the home. But what about the foundation? How does a fire affect it?

Modern homes won’t have a trace of lead in the paint and other construction materials, but older homes will sometimes have legacy paint that contains lead. How does that affect your repair work if you run into a home with lead paint?

On the date of this recording, it was the Autumnal Equinox. It's still Fall so now is a great time to talk about ways to prepare for the inevitable cooler temps and rain coming soon. The Crackman returns to enlighten us on what we can be doing now to avoid costly issues later.

In our podcast last week, we were talking about the drought. This week, the weather turned 180 and as a consequence, we have an interesting case study from Cranston RI. The CrackDaddy enlightens us.

The drought this year is real. How can a basement flood with no rain? The CrackDaddy explains.

Radon is a known problem and families who have elevated radon levels naturally want to alleviate the threat. If you have basement cracks, will getting them fixed help solve the problem? The CrackDaddy explains.

It’s been fairly dry this season. We’re in a drought, actually. So, if the soil around your house is dry, how could water be coming into a basement? Adam Tracy explains.

Once can imagine the frustration a homeowner would feel if they just spent a boat load of cash on a basement water problem and it didn’t fix the problem. Adam Tracy, aka The CrackDaddy, enlightens us with another great case study.

The housing market has been absolutely bonkers over the last year. Now loan rates are going through the roof, we have super high inflation, and there’s talk about a recession. Adam discusses what he is seeing from his perspective.

It’s great to know that A1 Foundation Crack Repair can fix basement water issues in homes, businesses, and condominiums. Recently, A1 got called into a condo to fix some issues in Lowell Massachusetts. Who was responsible for the repair, the homeowner or the condo association?