How to Repair a Concrete Crack with
Epoxy Injection 1-800-NO-LEAKS How to Repair a Concrete Crack with Epoxy
Injection 1-800-NO-LEAKS How to Repair a Concrete Crack with Epoxy Injection
1-800-NO-LEAKS
How to Repair a Concrete Crack with Epoxy
Injection
Homeowners love how a concrete basement
provides a safe, clean and dry area to store possessions or expand a home's
living space. What they don't love is how concrete cracks. Cracks in a basement
wall can let in water or signify that there is a structural problem with the
foundation. Injecting a basement wall crack with epoxy will stop any water
leaks and structurally repair the wall.
Epoxy Crack Injection Advantages
- Seals the crack from water
- Epoxies are stronger than concrete
- Structurally repair the concrete
All Concrete Cracks
First, the basics. All concrete
basement walls crack. These cracks are due to the concrete shrinking as it
cures and the water in the mix is removed. This shrinkage places stress on the
concrete and to relieve that stress, the concrete cracks. The cracks will
develop soon after the foundation is cast in place. The vast majority of cracks
are not a sign of a structural defect with the foundation.
Structural Cracks in Concrete Basement Walls
While it is difficult to determine by
looking at a basement wall crack if it is in fact a structural problem, there
are a few rules to help guide you. If the crack is over ½" wide there is a
chance that it is a structural crack. Horizontal cracks are almost always a
structural problem. Cracks that run on a severe diagonal, especially those that
start at an inside corner are usually a structural issue. It should be noted
that diagonal cracks that start at the corner of a window or where the
foundation "steps down" and are under ½" most likely are not a
structural issue.
If you are not sure if a crack is
structural in nature, an engineer can be hired for a few hundred dollars to
determine it for you. The engineer may use a crack stress gauge to help in
determining if it is.
Signs of a structural crack
- > 1/2" in width
- The crack is horizontal
- The crack runs on a severe diagonal
How the Concrete Basement Wall Crack is Repaired
The repairs made to a basement wall
crack are performed from the inside of the basement. Epoxies are injected into
the crack in a liquid form. The epoxies are a two component material that is
mixed as they are injected into the crack. After mixing they will cure to form
a hard and strong material to reinforce the wall. In fact, the epoxies have a
higher compression and tensile strength than the concrete itself. Once the
epoxy has cured the crack will not leak water.
How the Epoxy Injection is Performed
Step 1.
Attach Surface Ports - Plastic
injection ports are attached with a special surface paste directly over the
crack. These ports are spaced every six to twelve inches.
Step 2.
Seal the Crack Surface - Once the ports
are attached, the rest of the crack is covered with the same special surface
paste. This is not what makes the crack water proof. It merely keeps the epoxy
in the crack as it reacts and hardens.
Step 3.
Injecting Epoxy into the Crack - The
injection process starts at the lowest surface port. A mixer that attaches to
the epoxy cartridge is inserted into the port. The epoxy is in a liquid form
and flows into the crack. It will flow all the way to the outside surface of
the crack. Once you see the epoxy start to come out of the next port above you
stop injecting into the current port and move to the one above. A plug is
inserted into the first port to keep the liquid epoxy from leaking out. Proceed
until all of the ports have been injected.
Epoxy Cure Time
Epoxies start to cure as soon as the two
parts are mixed. They start to reach a semi-rigid gel after about 20-30
minutes. After several hours they will start to become hard. Final cure
strengths are usually achieved after seven days.
Limitations
- Not for concrete block walls
- Not for use on floor cracks
- for a expert Epoxy Concrete Crack Repair Specialist (click me) or
dial 1-800-NO-LEAKS (1-800-665-3257)
