Considering purchasing a brick farmhouse in mid-Michigan built in 1885. There are large visible cracks in the foundation. Anyone have thoughts on the cause and possible repairs?
Do about cracks in a stone foundation
brickfoundation
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If the cracks aren't new, then there's really nothing to 'stabilize' as that's already happened over the past 100 years.
If they are new, then you have bigger problems and need a structural engineer out there to figure out why your footers are sinking.
Assuming they are old cracks, if you don't have water problems, you don't really need to do anything with them. But if you do want to seal them, and you're going to cover them (so not overly worried about aesthetics) then a hydraulic cement product is what you are looking for such as
If it were me, I'd stick with your drainage improvements, monitor, and save pennies to fix this for real. 1920s-and-older construction is often significantly overbuilt (I've owned 5 so far, so take the sample for what it's worth statistically!) and can take a lot of abuse. You do want to fix this, but your time frame seems to be in months, not years. If you see shifting measured in millimetres, given the tectonic rates at which houses shift, you're probably ok for the next couple years. If your monitors show issues, move fast.
All of that is provided that you are not talking about significant (recent or contemplated) excavation, changes in the surrounding water behaviour (did you remove any trees?), and that you are getting the water far away from the foundation. Stabilize all that, and I bet you'll be ok for the next few years, assuming you have no seismic problems locally.
Also, of course, this advice is worth what you paid me for it; if you'd paid me, I would't give it. :) But that's what I'd do.
Best Answer
You need to get a professional home inspector onsite. He should be capable of telling you whether these are cracks of structural significance or not, and discuss remediation measures (not cost thereof).