Crack Repairs
Structural crack repairs
Discovering you have a foundation crack in your basement can be a little disturbing for some. Finding a big foundation crack is enough to make anyone’s heart start pounding. But don't fret, we've got you covered.
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Big foundation cracks require professional repair solutions
Spotting a foundation crack in your basement, especially a large one, can be an unnerving experience. But don’t fret, we're right here ready to roll up our sleeves. Cracks that are a quarter-inch or larger often signal structural issues, a situation that requires thorough and professional attention.
In most cases, we suggest a comprehensive inspection led by a seasoned structural engineer. This allows us to understand the root cause and recommend targeted solutions, steering clear of wasteful, ineffective fixes. Soil issues at construction stage or prolonged exposure to water are often the culprits behind these cracks.
In most cases, we suggest a comprehensive inspection led by a seasoned structural engineer. This allows us to understand the root cause and recommend targeted solutions, steering clear of wasteful, ineffective fixes. Soil issues at construction stage or prolonged exposure to water are often the culprits behind these cracks.
Identifying the cause of the structural crack
The first thing you need to do before you actually address the foundation crack is find out what caused it to become the size that it is. If the crack is close to the corner of the basement you may discover that there is another crack on the wall that leads away from the corner. If you look closely you may notice they run on an angle towards the corner. (Typical for poured concrete foundations, block foundations react differently)
If you are faced with a situation like this you likely have an actively moving crack which will cause other issues on the main floor like cracks in drywall, doors that won’t close and brick joints opening up. When this happens the cause is usually unstable soil under that section of the house.
The unstable soil usually stems from a couple of different things.
1. The ground under the house is not firm enough to support the weight of the house.
2. The corner of the house has taken on water from a downspout or other water source to the point that it becomes soft. Either way this needs to be rectified before the crack can be repaired.
If you are faced with a situation like this you likely have an actively moving crack which will cause other issues on the main floor like cracks in drywall, doors that won’t close and brick joints opening up. When this happens the cause is usually unstable soil under that section of the house.
The unstable soil usually stems from a couple of different things.
1. The ground under the house is not firm enough to support the weight of the house.
2. The corner of the house has taken on water from a downspout or other water source to the point that it becomes soft. Either way this needs to be rectified before the crack can be repaired.
Repairing structural foundation cracks
If the foundation has moved due to a water problem and the water problem is rectified chances are you can get away with performing a crack injection repair using two part epoxy along with some carbon fibre reinforcement straps.
When we know that the soil under the foundation is not able to properly support the weight of the house we have to provide a solution that addresses this. In this case we need to install piers into the ground directly beside the footing and weld them to special brackets which are bolted to the foundation. This solution once installed is able to support the full weight of the foundation preventing it from sinking any further.
Once we have stabilized the foundation, we can focus on repairing the cracks using a two part epoxy injection that will bond the foundation back together and repel any water that may want to enter.
When we know that the soil under the foundation is not able to properly support the weight of the house we have to provide a solution that addresses this. In this case we need to install piers into the ground directly beside the footing and weld them to special brackets which are bolted to the foundation. This solution once installed is able to support the full weight of the foundation preventing it from sinking any further.
Once we have stabilized the foundation, we can focus on repairing the cracks using a two part epoxy injection that will bond the foundation back together and repel any water that may want to enter.