The foundation of your house is one of the most important, if not the most, of your home. It not only provides protection by resisting movements and giving support to your house but also insulates it and helps to retain moisture. That is important to know about cracked foundation repair. Especially any damage or structural problem threatens your property’s security if you don’t count a suitable foundation.
Thus, it is essential to identify when your house’s foundation is in danger. In detail, this article will teach you the different types of damage you can detect and what you can do depending on the situation.
Types of Damage
There are different damage types that your foundation can present. So to avoid all kinds of accidents in your home and to detect them, we will give the most common ones.
Vertical and Diagonal Cracked Foundation
This type of crack may be the most common and least dangerous. When you have new construction, especially block foundations, vertical and diagonal cracks may appear in the concrete. These cracks are usually ⅛ of an inch wide and are located in the middle section of walls.
Nonetheless, the problem could be more hazardous if this type of crack is found near a corner and is wider than ⅛ of an inch. To ensure everything is in good condition, you should contact a professional.
Horizontal Cracked Foundation
Horizontal cracks are the worst in the foundation. In detail, to avoid accidents, you must repair these types immediately. They are more likely to indicate danger than the previous type of cracks. Their main cause is typically hydrostatic (water) pressure from the outside of the walls. Likewise, excess water pressure, such as heavy rains or flooding, creates more severe problems.
Indeed, there are plenty of options to solve this problem. Excavation around the wall, hydraulic lifting, or underpinning the wall with steel are some possibilities. However, they must be performed by a qualified professional.
Foundation Cracks that Change Direction
These are considered the most critical ones. If these types of cracks appear, it means that the soil is moving beneath and around the home. When this happens, too much pressure is put on the foundation, causing it to move in abnormal directions and, thus, crack it.
This may be highly dangerous for you, your family, and your property. It is recommended to call an expert to perform soil tests or drill soil samples to analyze what is happening to your foundation and look for solutions to that serious problem.
How is Cracked Foundation Repair Performed
Step #1: Repair it with an Epoxy Sealer
Before beginning the repair process, you must ensure that the crack is completely dry. You can use a blow-dryer to dry it if it is slightly damp. If it remains damp after 15 minutes, you ought to wait for the crack to dry out on its own, as water is still seeping into the crack. Otherwise, if it is dry, you can continue.
First, using a wire brush, you must scrub the crack clean of loose concrete, paint, or old crack filler. You may also remove the dust and debris with a shop vacuum.
Step #2: Block Out the Injection Ports
In detail, you must tap nails partway into the crack to align the injection ports.
Step #3: Mix the Epoxy Sealer
Importantly, epoxy sealers are into two parts, A and B, so for this step, you should open both containers and scoop them out in equal amounts. Further, after this, using a wire brush, you must mix the two parts and scrub the crack, then clean any loose concrete, paint, or old crack filler.
Step #4: Attach the Injection Port
Once the Epoxy Sealer is ready, you must slide the injection port over the nails you previously tapped. You should see that the sealant is distributed at the base of where the injection ports should be.
Step #5: Spread Sealer Along the Crack
Now that the epoxy sealer is ready apply it to the entire crack using a putty knife or margin trowel. Then, cover each injection port’s flange with crack sealer, leaving only the extended neck portion showing. To smooth it out and feather its edges, you should use a paintbrush dipped in mineral spirits.
Step #6: Inject the Epoxy into the Crack
Also, you have to let the sealer cure for 6 to 10 hours. Then, place the Liquid Concrete Repair (LCR) cartridge into a caulk gun and dispense the epoxy into the crack, starting at the lowest injection port.
Step #7: Seal Up the Injection Ports
Furthermore, after filling every port, you should remove your gun and insert a tip into every port.
Step #8: Cut Away the Injection Ports
Finally, the LCR must cure for five days. After that, you have to cut the necks of the ports. Moreover, you could patch the severed ports with a little crack sealer.
After following all these steps, your foundation crack should be sealed appropriately. However, as this is a very delicate zone of your house, this process must not be done by yourself. Instead, you should contact a professional team.
Contact the best Cracked Foundation Repair Services!
Knowing different repair methods and how to identify the cracks in your house’s foundation is crucial for you to have stability and peace of mind that your home is a safe environment for everyone.
However, this must not be something other than a DIY task. Foundation is a very delicate part that experts must repair.
For this reason, Enriquez Hernandez Construction LLC is here to offer you the best Cracked Foundation Repair services. We count on several years of experience that have made our team the most prepared and specialized in the zone. Your security and protection are our top priority. Contact us to receive top-quality services.