Cement Crack Repair for Poured Foundations
All cement cracks. That’s just the way cement is. When it dries, it shrinks and when it shrinks it cracks.
Also, it’s pretty hard stuff… it doesn’t really bend. So, if it gets pushed on hard enough, it’ll break.
Many times, a crack in your cement floor or wall isn’t a problem at all. Surface cracks are common.
But in other cases, a crack can become a leak. And sometimes, a crack is an indication of deeper structural problems.
If you’ve got a crack in your poured cement wall or floor, even if it’s not leaking, you should have it checked out.
We’re happy to come take a look at no charge, but for an even quicker response you can email us photos! Sometimes (not always) we can tell what we’re dealing with just like that. (Send crack photos to crack@waterproofinginc.com - no charge!)
Note: if your foundation is made of concrete blocks (as opposed to a poured slab foundation) this section doesn’t apply. For several reasons, fixing cracks in block foundations isn’t a viable option. Instead, see our section on waterproofing cement block foundations.
You can tell you have a block foundation if you can see that there are filled joints between squares of cement. It looks just like a brick wall but all gray and with really big bricks.
If you have a crack that IS leaking occasionally or all the time, it’s definitely something to repair. Water inside the home or basement is nothing good. See our pages on dust mites and mold growth for details.
We can repair a crack in one visit and the repair is guaranteed for 10 years.
We do it with a commercial grade epoxy and polyurethane foam system that not only fills the visible crack, but also seeps into the wall and into the void behind the wall to completely fill and protect the crack from future failure.
Here’s what the process looks like:
Step One: Inspect the crack to make sure it’s fixable, then clean the surface to ensure proper adhesion of the epoxy.
Step Two: Seal the surface with our special, commercial-grade two-part epoxy, and place injection ports every five inches along the crack.
Step Three: Starting at the bottom, inject the crack with specialized urethane foam. This foam is designed to penetrate right through the crack and into the cavity behind the wall that was created by the leaking water over time. As it dries, it expands to fill and seal the crack permanently.
Step Four: Finally, the crack is filled completely through to the top, filling the voids behind. This keeps water from ever reaching the leaking spot in the future, and ensures that no water pressure builds up in those places.
The injection ports are removed and you’re left with a smooth, dry surface which can be painted, covered with drywall or any other interior surface preparation that you choose.
To schedule a time to have one of our technicians come take a look at your cement, give us a call at 763-780-5926 or fill out the yellow form on the upper right of this page and we’ll get in touch!
|
