I have recently purchased a “brand new one-story with full basement home”. Only the front of the house and a side are underground. My concern is that I have noticed cracks in the basement/garage floor. Questions: Are Basement Floor Cracks common? What could cause this? Should I get this repaired immediately? What other factors if any should I look into that could be causing the cracks in the flooring and would these cracks be affecting anything else? Thanks!! I really need some expert advice. If need any more details please please ask :p

I have a house on a slab and water is leaking in through the foundation walls and putting water into the cold air returns. I've decided to dig up and waterproof. I'm doing the digging since it's not very deep(28-30" below grade to footer) but I may hire a waterproofing contractor to do the waterproofing. I have a few questions in case I do it myself. The footer tiles that go in: 1.)Are they layed flat or slanted to help move water? 2.)The footer drain tile I've seen at the store have holes on one side only. Do the holes face up or down? 3.)When you connect all of these tiles from the four walls where do you then run the tile-into a french drain, an outdoor sump pump, into the sanitary sewers like the old ones? 4.)Right now my old drains run into the sewer as it leaves the outside wall and heads for the street. Can I run the tiles into that again? 5.)What is meant by screening the gravel? I know there will be 18" of gravel above the tiles but where does the screening go-right over the tile or over the gravel before you pour the soil on? 6.)Do you lay a few inches of gravel below the footer tiles before you cover them with gravel? 7.) I've seen drain tile at the store that has holes all the way around-is that for drainage out in the middle of the yard? Some dumb questions I know but I'm new to this sort of work. Thanks for any replies.