The Foundation Crack Bible Foundation Crack Dictionary Shows How to Identify, Diagnose & Evaluate Types of Foundation & Wall or Slab Cracks. POST a QUESTION or READ FAQs about the cause and repair of all types of building foundation and floor slab cracks.
- Concrete Wall Crack Repair Injection
- Foundation Wall Crack Repair Methods
- Epoxy Concrete Foundation Wall Crack Repair
Concrete Wall Crack Repair Injection
However, these concrete crack repair products can fail after a few years if your foundation or retaining wall continues to move slightly, leaving you with little choice but to chip them out and start all over again. We repaired a foundation wall, which had an 8-ft.-long crack that leaked water into the basement during periods of heavy rainfall. Patch Foundation Cracks; Patch Foundation Cracks. If it looks like the crack has caused part of the wall to move away from the rest of the wall, or if the crack is excessively large, call in a professional for an evaluation, as there could be a major structural problem that won’t be cured by a patch. If the crack goes through both. If the crack goes through both sides of the foundation wall, repair the exterior before repairing the interior. Step 3: Repair Hairline Cracks Thin hairline cracks can usually be repaired with a vinyl concrete patching compound. Soil pressure from outside the foundation is another condition that can cause a foundation wall to crack and bow inward. In both of these cases, your Basement Systems dealer can recommend engineered foundation repair solutions that treat the soil issue in order to remedy the cracking problem.
Foundations are rigid and tend to crack over time. Minor cracks, though unsightly, are not normally cause for alarm. Major cracks, on the other hand, indicate substantial movement and can undermine the home’s structural integrity. Therefore, you can’t just ignore cracks in a foundation or concrete slab. Filling in these cracks and stopping them from spreading is essential to preventing serious structural issues in your home.
If your foundation or structural slab has an excessive number of smaller cracks or cracks that are larger than 1/4 inch wide, have it examined by a structural or civil engineer to assess the extent of the damage and to determine the source. If the damage is severe, consult a geotechnical or soils engineer, who can suggest solutions to correct the problem once and for all.
Even in the best of conditions, concrete moves a fraction of an inch here or there, not always resulting in a crack. And, believe it or not, concrete expands on hot days and shrinks when the weather is cold! Therefore, when patching cracks in concrete, use a product that gives a little. The more elastic the product, the less likely a crack will reappear. A vinyl concrete patch, which usually comes packaged dry in a box, is a good choice for fixing cracks over 1/8 inch thick.
Foundation Wall Crack Repair Methods
To repair a small crack, follow these steps:
Epoxy Concrete Foundation Wall Crack Repair
- Clean the area and get rid of any loose chips.For cracks wider than 1/8 inch, use a small sledgehammer and a cold chisel to chip away loose material.
- Mix the concrete patch to the consistency of a thin paste.Mix the dry patch powder with latex instead of water to give the product some added elasticity and adhesion. Also, mix only a small amount of paste at a time because most products tend to dry pretty quickly.
- Mist the crack with water and then trowel the patching paste into the crack.Wetting the crack with water before installing a patching product prevents the moisture in the patch material from being drawn out by dry concrete, which causes the patch material to crack and not form a solid bond.
- Use a trowel to scrape away any excess paste and create a smooth and uniform finish.If the existing concrete surrounding the patch is rough, you can match the finish by sweeping it with a broom.
- Clean up your tools and buckets immediately to avoid the patching compound drying in and on them.
If you can’t find vinyl concrete patch material, mix one part Portland cement to three parts sand; then add enough concrete bonding agent to make a stiff mixture about the consistency of mashed potatoes. Take a small part of the mixture and add more bonding agent so that it becomes a soupy consistency. Brush the soupy mixture into the crack using an old paintbrush, and then pack the stiff mixture into the crack with a metal trowel. Use the trowel to create a smooth finish.
To repair large gaps (1/4 inch or greater) in concrete that are not structural and don’t require advice from an engineer, use a latex caulk that contains silicone or a polyurethane caulk. You pump these products into the joint with a caulking gun; the caulking products remain pliable to allow for ongoing expansion and contraction. (Because most of these caulking products are self-leveling, no troweling is required.) Be sure to lightly spray the patch with water twice a day for a week to help it cure and prevent cracking.