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What Is Street Creep?

Cracked and uneven sidewalk and curb.

While street creep isn’t something homeowners encounter every day, it’s a real and growing concern across many regions of the U.S. From the Pacific Northwest to the Mid-Atlantic, street creep affects homes in any climate with seasonal temperature fluctuations, especially where concrete driveways, sidewalks, and streets are common.

Over time, this subtle but relentless movement of exterior concrete can apply pressure to your home, eventually leading to cracks, gaps, and even structural failure. If you’re noticing signs of street creep, it’s important to act quickly. Here’s everything you need to know about identifying and preventing street creep.

Table of Contents

Understanding Street Creep

Street creep is the slow, long-term movement of exterior concrete surfaces, such as roads, sidewalks, and driveways, toward your home’s foundation. This phenomenon is caused by the natural expansion and contraction of concrete due to seasonal temperature changes. In summer, concrete expands. In winter, it contracts. While this cycle is normal, problems arise when expansion joints between concrete slabs become clogged with dirt, gravel, or debris.

Once filled, these joints can no longer accommodate movement. When the surrounding concrete expands again, it pushes against anything in its path—often your driveway, garage slab, or foundation wall. Over time, this added pressure can force slabs out of alignment, crack foundation walls, and even create hazardous gaps or misalignments inside your home.

Where Does Street Creep Occur?

Street creep and concrete expansion can happen anywhere with concrete slabs exposed to regular thermal changes, especially in areas with large seasonal temperature swings. Homeowners in states like Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and even parts of the South are increasingly dealing with the effects of aging concrete infrastructure and clogged expansion joints. As neighborhoods and roadways age, these issues become more frequent.

Common Signs of Street Creep

Wondering if your home might be affected by street creep? Look for these warning signs:

A close-up of an uneven sidewalk.

While some of these issues can also be symptoms of other foundation problems, together they may point to creeping concrete pressure. If you notice one or more, it’s time to bring in a professional for a detailed inspection.

How to Counteract Street Creep

Street creep is a natural process that you have little control over, but you can mitigate the affect of it on your foundation. Whether you’re in a region with harsh winters or fluctuating weather patterns, Groundworks offers a proven approach to safeguard your foundation against concrete expansion.

A close-up of earth anchors.

Foundation Wall Anchors

If concrete expansion is straining your foundation, one effective solution is to reinforce your foundation’s connection to the soil with wall anchors. Durable steel beams are driven deep into stable soil and attached to your foundation walls to counteract bowing and lateral pressure.

foundation pier installation

Foundation Piers

As concrete inches closer to your home, the added weight and strain can cause your foundation to sink. Push or helical piers installed under your home’s foundation footings help stabilize and potentially lift sinking foundation slabs, restoring proper alignment and load distribution.

Expansion joints in concrete

Expansion Joints

Since you can’t stop concrete from expanding, one of the best ways to manage movement is to control where it goes. Installing new expansion joints in strategic locations, such as where your driveway meets the garage slab, can absorb the pressure from expanding concrete and relieve stress on your foundation.

Why Choose Professional Repair Options?

While you may be tempted to ignore the slow-forming nature of street creep issues or attempt a DIY fix yourself, the long-term damage to your foundation from concrete expansion can be severe. With more than 20 years of experience in foundation repair and concrete solutions, Groundworks provides the knowledge, tools, and personalized care you need to protect your home.

We offer:

Three people inspect a large crack on the driveway in front of a house.
  • Free inspections and no-obligation estimates
  • Honest assessments tailored to your specific property
  • Proven repair systems backed by industry warranties
  • Fast, clean, minimally disruptive installations
  • Long-term solutions, not quick fixes

When it comes to street creep and its effects on your home, delaying action only leads to more costly damage. Let us help you stop the pressure before it pushes your foundation too far.

Get Started Today With a Free Estimate

Poly foam injection

If you suspect your home is being affected by street creep, or you’ve already noticed signs of concrete or foundation damage, don’t wait. Reach out to the trusted team at Groundworks for a free inspection and custom repair plan.

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Conor Battles

Conor Battles

Content Writer

Conor is a content writer and SEO coordinator for Groundworks with years of media experience across a variety of channels, including in home services and interior design. He’s passionate about using digital storytelling to help homeowners envision the ideal space for their unique needs. While based in Northeast Ohio, Conor was born and raised in New England and enjoys the outdoors, local music, and old movies.