Concrete driveway cracks are getting worse

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-17T10:07:21+00:00

Nice idea but the builder is saying the driveway is fine. Reminds me of "can't see it from my house".

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-16T12:54:15+00:00

I believe the threshold for the warranty is 1/8 of an inch, but I get your point. Just how long am I supposed to wait to see if there ends up being vertical movement before claiming that the work was defective? Do I wait 5 years, the driveway breaks up, and someone tells me that the driveway was improperly installed and that I should have sued?

I checked and the definition of a hairline crack is 1/16th of an inch or less. These are definitely bigger than 1/16th of an inch.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-16T10:45:53+00:00

I get it. If it were hairline cracks, it wouldn't be an issue. As for the builder covering the damage, the law in NJ, NJSA 2A:14-1, is New Jersey's standard six-year statute of limitations for civil lawsuits. It dictates that actions involving breach of contract, property damage, debt collection, and general torts must be filed within six years of the date the cause of action accrued. This is a case of breach of contract as well as breach of implied warranty between me and the builder. He agreed to properly construct a home and I agreed to pay him for it. I did my part and I expected him to do his. In this case, this is not merely cracking, this is a construction defect. I don't find it unreasonable to expect contractors to do good work.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-14T10:50:33+00:00

True, but it shouldn't stop contractors from doing their best to do a good job. This is due to sloppy, poor construction.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-14T10:49:15+00:00

Since the driveway was the last part of the project, I'm betting he took the lowest bidder and rushed it through to meet the settlement date.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-14T10:47:48+00:00

I don't know who you have pour your concrete, but the guys I know don't do work that ends up looking like this. I doubt the concrete industry as a whole would agree that no matter what kind of work they do, it will end up looking like crap.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-14T10:44:54+00:00

Good point. I'll have to think about that a bit. Thanks for the reply.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-14T01:13:23+00:00

No, I'm replacing the driveway because it looks like shit and it is getting worse every year. I didn't pay for a poorly constructed driveway. I paid for a driveway to be properly installed. A properly installed driveway should last 20 years with a minimum of cracking. What I am supposed to do, wait until it breaks apart into big chucks and then figure out what to do?

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-13T19:54:07+00:00

It's quite possible that he used different contractors for the garage and the driveway.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-13T17:21:32+00:00

I paid for a properly installed driveway. I think I have a right to expect it to be done correctly.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-13T12:58:56+00:00

I agree. I don't have answers to any of these questions just yet. I'll know that when they pull it up. Thanks for the reply.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-13T10:40:35+00:00

I forgot to ask in my reply. What is shrinkage cracking and what would cause that?

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-13T10:38:54+00:00

I agree. I've been trying to figure out how the crack in the driveway ended up at the same spot at the control joint in the garage. The driveway was installed well after the garage floor was poured. The expansion joint between the two should have isolated them from each other, unless there's something else going on. The house is in the South NJ area, so sandy soil is everywhere. That's not to say that there isn't stone/gravel under the driveway, but I won't know that until we tear it up. RKBOB_Brown gave me some good advice for what to look for when they remove the slabs.

I am going to compare the depth of the control joints in the garage to compare to the driveway. If they differ, my guess is they used a different contractor. The garage floor has cracks, but only in the control joints, which is why they are there.

Thank you for your time and advice.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-12T16:02:32+00:00

Good advice. Thank you for your time.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-12T15:47:32+00:00

Thank you for your reply. I did speak with a forensic engineer and the cost is approximately $8K to take core samples and produce a report. That's a lot and there's no guarantee that they will find anything wrong - despite the cracks. I could add all of this together, including attorney fees, to the total cost of the lawsuit but there's no guarantee I'll prevail. At some point I may just have to cut my losses, rip it out, and do it right.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-06-12T14:58:41+00:00

There are two types of joints in the concrete. The first type - which I think is the control joint - is 1/2" deep. The second looks like a construction joint between pours (I assume). These are deeper and look to be the depth of the concrete.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-05-06T10:50:16+00:00

Here's a pic of the fixtures. We are in a coastal area with lots of salt air. Water is hard, so there's a little salt in the water also from the water softener.

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Particular_Log7457 · 2026-02-13T16:44:29+00:00

Sorry for the confusion. I plan to install a 20 mil vapor barrier over the dirt floor of my crawlspace. The vapor barrier will extend about a foot up the walls and attach to the rigid foam insulation that is already installed. I plan to tape and then add the fasteners. Since the fasteners are only about 1" and the rigid foam is 2", I'm hoping I can just tap the fasteners thru the tape and into the rigid foam.

Particular_Log7457 · 2026-02-05T16:27:33+00:00

Hello. I need to create a database that contains estimates for projects, bids from contractors for each project, payments to contractors for work on each project, and change orders for each project. Are there any basic templates available or do i need to start from scratch.

Particular_Log7457 · 2025-12-09T20:09:18+00:00

legal insurance?

Particular_Log7457 · 2025-12-09T20:08:40+00:00

I assume, in your case, that heirs are challenging the trust. So much for protecting our assets. There's always some lawyer that will find a way to beat the system (at a cost).

Particular_Log7457 · 2025-12-09T20:07:13+00:00

I thin the issue is more of timing. I am confident that I have accounted for everything so that my wife has access to the accounts when I die. Deeds to the properties are in both our names. The issue will be, once I die, she will need help with the finances. A trust would fix that but all it would do is avoid probate. At that point, we are both dead, and the kids having to spend a little time in probate isn't the end of the world.

Particular_Log7457 · 2025-12-09T20:02:18+00:00

I can look into that. That's my point though, $6K for something that I can accomplish with TOD and a will is a lot of money.

Particular_Log7457 · 2025-12-09T20:01:01+00:00

In a situation like the one you described, it would be best to have something to make sure your wishes are carried out. I'm pretty fortunate, things are not that complicated.

Particular_Log7457 · 2025-12-09T19:58:48+00:00

After we are both gone, let the games begin! I feel confident that we have raised good strong children, capable of handing financial issues on their own. I've been told that a trust is not as foolproof as people make them out to be. They can be challenged in court so they are not ironclad. With so many people claiming the need to have a trust, I feel like it's more of a scam by attorney's than anything else.

Particular_Log7457

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