Concierge Spotlight: Basement Repair Specialists

Not All Cracks Are Created Equal…

When you see a crack in your foundation or basement wall there are several factors at play. There are two things that are true about concrete, no one will steal it, and it will crack. The nature of the crack is very important in telling the story of the crack and can help to determine if it’s just a standard curing crack or if it’s related to more troublesome structural issues.

Concrete can crack during the curing process when the water in the mix evaporates as the concrete hardens. Sometimes this process happens too quickly and can lead to concrete shrinkage cracks. These cracks are usually hairline in nature when they start out and usually vertical. They can widen over time as water or water vapor enters the crack and evaporates. When the water migrates, it brings with it calcium salts from within the cement.  These calcium salts are left behind and they are corrosive to concrete and can slowly eat away causing the crack to widen.  You may notice a white residue on your basement walls, this is called efflorescence and the result of this process.

A curing crack in your basement wall will almost certainly lead to water leaking through it. There are also two types of cracks in basement walls: those that leak and those that will leak. Fixing a curing crack from leaking is a straightforward process. We utilize a polyurethane hydrophobic foam that we inject into the crack with low pressure to seal from the inside out. To do this we seal the crack with epoxy and attach injection ports over the crack. These ports are where we slowly inject the foam material which expands inside the crack filling it all the way from the inside out creating a waterproof barrier.

If the crack is horizontal through the middle of the wall or diagonal in nature and usually near the corners, these types of cracks are usually signs of inward deflection. This results in either a tipping or bowing basement wall.  These cracks have the potential to leak and should be sealed with polyurethane hydrophobic foam but they are also the sign of a structural issue as well. If during the evaluation, it’s determined that inward deflection is present then we would fix the wall utilizing Fortress Carbon Fiber Straps. If the deflection is excessive then the wall needs to be excavated, drain tile and exterior waterproofing added and pushed back into place along with securing with carbon fiber it to ensure it’s structural integrity.  If the deflection is not too bad, then we can secure the wall in place and restore it’s structural integrity with the carbon fiber straps. The Fortress Carbon Fiber Straps we utilize are over four times stronger than steel. This system is also the only ICC approved system and it’s backed by a lifetime warranty that is fully transferable to future owners.

Another type of crack is a settlement crack. These types of crack are usually wider at the top tan the bottom and are a result of foundation settlement. Foundation settlement occurs when the foundation is on poor soils that are unable to properly sustain the load of the structure or expansive clay soils that shrink and expand depending on moisture content. This essentially creates a yo-yo effect with your foundation.  In order to determine if there is foundation settlement, we draw the house up and do a level survey using a Zip level that uses thermostatic barometric pressure to measure the difference in elevation.  With these readings we are able to determine if there is settlement in the foundation. If this is the case then the option is to repair by using helical piles or driven piles. These piles are advanced through the bad soil down to good solid soil, called load bearing stratum or to bedrock. Depending on the situation we have the option of trying to recover the settlement to maximum practical recovery or keeping it where it’s at and ensuring that it will never settle again. We utilize RamJack piles and provide a lifetime warranty against future settlement. This warranty is fully transferable to future owners.

Here at Basement Repair Specialists we offer a solution for just about any issues that may arise regarding your foundation. We evaluate each house individually and determine the best course of action for your individual need. Whether you have water in your basement and you are looking for water control solutions, have bowing, tipping, or sheared walls, foundation settlement, leaking cracks, or need an egress window we will provide a solution just for you. If you have a crawlspace that has issues don’t think that because we have Basement in our name, we can’t help you too. We offer water control and encapsulation in crawlspaces as well.

Our goal is to provide our customers with a great value, great projects, and with a great experience.