All cracks eventually leak. Fixing only the leaking ones just delays the inevitable, and costs more because you have to pay more than once to bring the repairman out.
Water seeks the path of least resistance. If there are multiple cracks some will provide less resistance to the water than others so they leak first. When you are having cracks repaired, take advantage of quantity discounts usually available and have them all fixed at once.
Waterproofing knows the most reliable methods to repair cracks so then can be fixed and forgotten. When cracks and moisture threaten your quality of life you can schedule a no-charge visit from one of our Advisors. Tags: basement waterproofing facts , foundation cracks , basement waterproofing solutions , foundation repairs.
We are moving to our new offices today, Friday, February 26th. During our move, our phones and appointment booking may be temporarily disrupted. If you have trouble reaching us, please try again shortly or email us at sales uswaterproofing. Thank you for your patience. Shrinkage — This happens shortly after a house is built.
The poured concrete foundation dries too quickly, shrinks and hairline cracks appear. Settling — Typically this happens for only a short period after the house is built.
The foundation is placed onto ground that still wants to compress. If the compression is minor, the cracks usually are also. However, if the ground continues to compress for a while, the existing foundation cracks get progressively wider and new ones may appear. Movement — This is the most common cause of cracks we see. When the ground around the foundation moves and shifts it causes cracks. As movement continues these cracks worsen and multiply. Also, the kit includes a caulking gun.
When talking about downsides, there are not a lot of glaring issues with the package. The kit is priced just right when considering what it includes.
This one is another budget-friendly entry to the list. The kit includes two jars of Crack and Seal Port Adhesive. Furthermore, the package has 15 surface ports. Assuming that you will be spacing the surface ports at 10 inches apart, you should be able to cover around 12 feet of crack. The injected formula is made of polyurethane.
Also, it does not impede the natural expansion and contraction of the concrete. The guide is in English and Spanish. Perhaps you could say that the surface ports only covering 12 feet of crack may be an issue. This kit is among the few that include a caulk gun. The kit is also designed to stop or prevent water leaks.
However, it can be used for both dry and wet cracks. This is the reason why it does an excellent job at plugging water leaks. Despite being air-tight, the formula remains flexible. It can adjust with the concrete shifting due to thermal cycles. As mentioned above, you will need a dual cartridge gun. Knowing the kind of cracks you have in your basement walls will help you determine the severity of damage that your home has sustained.
However, you should keep in mind that any cracking you discover, especially in the foundation of your home, must be taken seriously. Inspect cracks closely and repair them to protect your home and ensure structural integrity. A structural crack in a basement wall is typically due to movement, whether it is from soil shrinkage, soil pressure or temperature changes. If you spot moisture or water coming from structural cracks, the quicker you repair them, the better. Quickly changing patterns of local climates can cause cracks to worsen or lead to even more water and moisture issues.
Water leaking into a basement can ruin belongings, floors, walls, and contribute to the development of mold and mildew. When left unattended, non-structural basement wall cracks may get worse as well. This is why homeowners are advised to act fast in addressing cracks, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. With cracks that are between one to two millimeters each and run diagonally or vertically, they may be non-structural. Horizontal cracks are the ones you need to watch out for because they signal serious damage to the structural integrity and foundation of a home.
Several things cause this kind of foundation damage, such as hydrostatic pressure that makes a basement wall to bow and soil pressure outside the foundation. This kind of cracking can require extensive repair to secure the foundation and prevent it from causing any further damage.
They go all the way up or down or slightly diagonally, within degrees vertical. It is, therefore, not uncommon for a new house to have vertical cracks as the foundation of a home can settle greatly within the first year. Fortunately, vertical cracks are the least expensive and the easiest to seal.
However, you should repair them immediately as they can grow or open even more. Cracks that are diagonal run along basement walls at a 30 to degree angle. A thin, hairline diagonal crack is usually wide at one end compared to the other.
This uneven tension causes the diagonal cracking and happens because they house has been built on uneven ground or slope. It may also because of the contraction or expansion of soil under a certain portion of a house. This kind of cracking can be sealed but the reason for the differential settlement has to be addressed. The solution can be the installation of new gutters which redirects rainwater away from your property, especially from an area that gets flooded regularly and causes the soil under one portion of your home to shift.
As you may already know, there are two different methods for repairing basement wall cracks: polyurethane foam and epoxy injection. Read on to know the difference between the two. Urethanes react with water and moisture in basement wall cracks to foam and then expand inside the walls. Polyurethane foam injection fills the void all the way, top to bottom. As a matter of fact, urethanes expand as much as 30 times their initial volume. Additionally, less resin is required with urethane foams as they can expand in volume.
This makes them a more economical choice than epoxies. Lastly, urethane injection is easier to do compared to epoxy injection. Epoxies weld basement wall cracks together and they can restore structural strength.
The strength of the bond is a lot higher than concrete, and movement is eliminated within a concrete basement wall during contraction and expansion cycles. Home foundations that have a continuous stress load in them or are constantly moving may require additional repair methods to stabilize basement walls and prevent further damage. Epoxy is a lot stronger compared to concrete, but continuous stress load can cause walls to crack again.
While concrete port walls are reasonably strong and durable, there are instances that cracks can arise. Cracks can happen, whether the wall is textured or non-textured. Also, the wall can be classified into structural, non-structural, dry, or wet and leaking. No matter the classification, the process of repairing the crack is the same whether you are using epoxy or urethane foam. Repairing a crack is a multi-step procedure. A visible crack in the wall is just the tip of the iceberg.
Inside the crack could be a network of more cracks. You need to fill up the void created by the crack to plug possible leaks and minimize structural compromise.
The most common products to fill-up the crack are epoxy and urethane foam. Hence, you first need to seal the crack, so the product has nowhere to go but inside. The surface ports become an entry point for the product. Since you will be starting at the bottom port, the product will fill the crack while going up. Eventually, it will flow out from the next porthole above.
Now that you know the basic idea, you can move to the finer details in the step-by-step guide below. The first step is to clean the crack thoroughly. Once you scrape and clean the areas around the crack, make sure to dust it off with a soft brush or a vacuum. Repairing a crack requires the installation of surface ports. These ports are the entry points for your epoxy or urethane foam that will be injected later on in the process.
0コメント