What happens when you ignore water?

I want to discuss what can happen if you continue to ignore water that may be starting to cause issues with regards to foundations. In the picture you can see a crack in the foundation. This is happening three blocks down from the top of the foundation, the frost point as some call it. During the winter water freezes and expands. When there is too much water near a foundation wall this pressure, from water freezing and expanding, pushes against your foundation walls forcing them inward. This can be caused by several things. Most times it is a gutter that does not extend far enough away from the house or improper grading around the house. In this situation, a sidewalk has settled and is leaning toward the house. This is causing water to build up near the foundation wall. This crack is not a concern, IF correct measures are taken to keep water away from the house! If this issue is ignored water will continue to push against the wall making this crack larger and larger. Once the crack reaches 3/8 of an inch a foundation specialist will have to step in to correct it. A costly fix for something that can be rectified at the early stages.