Fixing Foundation Cracks that Leak - Leaquida Waterproofing blog

How Are Foundation Wall Leaks Caused?
Fixing Foundation Cracks That Leak: 10 Ways
What’s The Next Step? Call In A Professional

The foundation is the foundation of a building, but when it becomes cracked, it starts to become saturated with moisture, slowly seeping into the walls. The result is mold and splits in the surface of your home. If the problem is not corrected, the service life of the building is reduced. You may not always be able to detect house foundantion problems immediately. Typically, a problem is noticed when mold develops on the walls and foul-smelling dampness begins to appear in the home.

How Are Foundation Wall Leaks Caused?

The leading cause of leaky walls is the formation of cracks in the foundation due to hydrostatic pressure that occurs when water penetrates the ground. As a result, the foundation is squeezed, resulting in fractures and microcracks. Not only moisture but insects enter the house through structural cracks in the foundation. In some cases, fractures appear in the foundation due to tree roots that grow next to the house. Damage to the foundation causes the walls to sag and the building to collapse. If you need waterproofing and fixing leaks in foundation walls, contact our company, and we will quickly fix the situation and provide a warranty on the completed work.

Fixing Foundation Cracks That Leak: 10 Ways

Thanks to our modern technology and extensive experience, our company conducts foundation wall leak repair in several ways. The cost depends on the method chosen. Let’s see 10 ways to solve different problems.

Fixing large cracks with epoxy

Large cracks can be repaired using epoxy. Clean the fracture from debris and dry it with a construction hair dryer before you start. After waiting 15 minutes, make a viscous solution of epoxy resin and pour it deep into the fracture with a large syringe. After the resin dries, fill the crack with putty. Then you can begin to paint the surface.

Fixing a narrow crack

First, watch the crack. If it’s deep and widening, you need to patch it up. If it is too narrow, you will need to widen the entrance of the fracture yourself to fill cracks in concrete foundation walls successfully. To do this, finish nails are driven into the fracture at 12 inches apart. After cleaning and drying the problem area, the prepared mortar is poured inside.

How to fill a crack larger than ⅛ inch

If the fracture is more than ⅛ inch, the crack is sealed with a sanded sealant or cement mortar. To avoid further cracking, after the fracture is filled with mortar, a reinforced mesh is placed over the joint, and puttying is done. To succeed, it is essential to fill fractures in foundation walls and use high-quality materials resistant to moisture.

Fixing the cracks in the foundation bordering the basement

Since the basement is filled after the foundation and the walls are installed, fractures often appear in the basement when the house sags. They are filled with a sealant that binds well to the concrete surface to fix concrete foundation cracks. Please do not wait for it to get bigger. Call a master. He will ensure that the poured concrete foundation crack will not appear again.

What to do if water has seeped into the crack?

To fix the leaking foundation wall, you first need to drain the water, clean and dry the fracture, and seal it. Water seeps into the basement because it is below grade. When water gets into the basement after precipitation, it causes mold appears on the walls. When sealing the fracture, you need to avoid moisture and use cement mortar with waterproofing properties to fill it.

What if the crack is more extensive than ½ inch?

A professional should be called in if the crack is more than ½ inch wide. Otherwise, fixing the problem yourself can cause structural issues. Our handyman will quickly fix the leak in the foundation of the house and waterproof it if necessary.

What does a bulge in the foundation of the house indicate?

Pouring the foundation of the house is carried out with reinforcement. Bulges may appear due to soil swelling and pressure on the foundation if the building is located on clayey wet soil. If a slight bulge is challenging to see, take a ruler and draw along the wall. If you find one, you need to patch the concrete foundation immediately, or else you will get a fracture, and moisture will start to seep into the foundation, gradually causing it to collapse.

What cracks are indicative of structural failure?

Any fracture should be repaired. Horizontal cracks appear due to hydrostatic pressure of the ground, and vertical fractures occur due to shrinkage of the house. If the wall has no bulges but there are cracks need to call a specialist. After all, water leaking through foundation cracks will contribute to mold development and increased humidity inside the room. The cause of their appearance determines the type of repair work to repair cracks. It may require additional groundwork, waterproofing, and strengthening of the foundation of the building. The scale of the problem and fixing leaking foundation crack will be made by the specialist of our company, providing a guarantee for services.

What do step cracks along the foundation tell about?

Cracks that change over time and hairline fractures should cause concern. It means that there is a destruction of the foundation of the structure and requires the best way to repair cracks in the concrete foundation by strengthening the base of the walls. Particularly dangerous are fractures that change their direction running along the joints. It indicates a movement of the ground beneath the building. The foundation moves, and fractures appear in the form of steps. Fixing the situation will help repair foundation cracks in the house with an additional pouring of the concrete mixture under the base of the building. It is also necessary to carry out waterproofing.

The best way to fix a crack is to fill it with epoxy

The best way to repair cracks in poured foundation walls is to fill them with epoxy resin. The material is solid and unaffected by moisture, frost, and other adverse conditions. Penetrating the structure of the concrete, it bonds firmly to the material, creating a single unit. The method is relevant when interior foundation crack repair is needed when the structure is severely damaged. This method is usually used when an earthquake has damaged a building. It is not the kind of resin that is used to make decorations. The material for repairing foundation water leak comes in special syringes. Thanks to the handy tip, the liquid penetrates quickly into the splits and fills them. To ensure that fixing cracks in foundation walls goes well, the fractures are first vacuumed and, if necessary, dried.

What’s The Next Step? Call In A Professional

Need sealing foundation cracks fast? Leave a call for a professional at our company. We’ll be sure to call you back with quality repair services. Our team includes professionals with extensive experience. They will help you choose a way to fix the crack, considering the customer’s budget.

Common Problem: Foundation Wall Leaks