Signs of needed foundation repair work are; vertical, diagonal, horizontal, or stairstep cracks or a bowed basement wall. These are signs of settlement. Unstable soil conditions can cause your home to sink down into the ground causing stress in many areas. The type of foundation repair needed will be determined by the specific cause of the foundation problem.
Vertical cracks are most often caused by the shrinkage of the concrete as it cures, but they also tend to occur from damage as the foundation settles.
This is normally a small concrete repair job to do. *Most Vertical and Diagonal Crack Repairs can be done in one day*.
Concrete crack injection has been the accepted method for these types of repairs for many years. The technique is cost-effective, reliable, and permanent. Low-pressure concrete crack injection (20 to 40 psi) permanently fills the entire length and depth of the crack, preventing water from further deteriorating concrete.
Materials with differing viscosities are manufactured to ensure an effective repair for non structural solutions.
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Epoxy crack filler materials are most useful for repairing concrete block walls, large cracks in concrete slabs, and filling holes left by tie rod forms.
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Polyurethane materials are very useful for filling gaps around pipes through concrete walls because they adhere well to plastic or metal materials as well as the concrete walls.
Other fractures can grow over time and cause further damage to the foundation. If the fracture is large or growing over time, simple injection techniques are not an appropriate or lasting fix. Under these circumstances, appropriate needs to stabilize the fracture, i.e., prevent it from expanding and getting larger. To accomplish this, reinforcement and stabilization is required.
Concrete crack repair using the A-1 Basement Solutions involves, after surface preparation, a standard injection technique to fill all voids with a specially formulated epoxy mixture.
After the voids are filled, staples are installed across the fracture in a fashion that relieves and dissipates both lateral and vertical movement. Staple placement is critical for proper fix and is usually engineered into the project plan. Staples are usually placed no more than 24 inches apart for effective reinforcement.
When a fracture is caused by differential loading (shear), the fix is considered structural. The staples in this case are crisscrossed at a 30 degree angles that will load the carbon in tension, allowing function in shear. The result is not only a fracture fix, but restoration of the structural integrity of the wall.
When carbon-fiber sheet staples are anchored into the cement, fewer loads are exerted on the weak surface substrate and transferred into actual cement. This improves its entire inter-workings with the material of choice.
Concrete crack repair and stopping the wall shifting with carbon-fiber is a proven application and technology that works as well in your home as in commercial buildings, bridges, mines, road surfaces, and in any other applications where reinforcement and reparation are needed.
If you’ve seen horizontal cracks along the middle of the wall, or a stairstep crack following the mortar joints, your walls are susceptible to lateral pressure. When the ground around your foundation is wet it expands. When it is dry it shrinks back down.
This back and forth pressure will cause cracking and bowing in the wall. This is a serious sign of movement in the foundation.
A horizontal crack in a foundation wall, below grade, which runs the length of the basement, is likely a sign that the foundation is failing under the weight of the surrounding soil.
Horizontal cracks weaken your walls much more than vertical ones and can lead to complete failure of the walls. These cracks are caused by pressure against the side wall (which can snap the walls).
When it comes to repairing this type of crack, it is not sufficient to simply fill the crack. You must also restore the structural stability of the structure. This generally requires reinforcement to prevent further movement.
A-1 Basement Solutions uses a time-tested and proven method of foundation and crack repair that restores the integrity and stability of the foundation. We use carbon-fiber kevlar sheet straps in combination with specifically designed epoxy. This can be performed effectively and efficiently with minimal obtrusion or obstruction.
It is a low cost reinforcement solution that repairs your wall, adds strength, stops the inward movement and redistributes the weight on your basement walls. The cracks are permanently repaired and stabilized to restore stability of the structure.
*Most Horizontal and Stairstep Crack Repairs can be done in one day.*
A Bowed Basement or Foundation Walls can occur as a result of soil loads pushing against the wall. Over time, these factors can produce lateral bending and the foundation or basement wall becomes bowed. This condition also produces significant cracking. If left unattended this condition will worsen with time jeopardizing both the structural integrity and resale value of the property.
You can reinforce a bowed basement or foundation wall concrete wall that is still within tolerance at it's current condition without straightening. Historically, I-beams were used to correct a bowed wall by erecting the beams in a fashion that provides lateral concrete reinforcement. While remaining an effective method, installation can be expensive and the end result is obtrusive beams sticking out from the wall. In addition, the cracks which have undoubtedly occurred as a result are not addressed.
Bowed basement walls can be resolved using the latest carbon-fiber technology developed by Fortress Stabilization Systems. Using carbon-fiber kevlar gridstraps in combination with specifically designed epoxies, foundations can now be repaired and arrested with little to no obtrusiveness. The repaired bowed basement wall can then be painted thereby creating an almost invisible repair, thereby increasing the resale value of your home.
*Fixing Bowed walls with Carbon Fiber Grid Straps*
*Reinforcing Foundation Walls with Carbon Fiber Grid Straps*
*Foundation Crack Repair : Carbon Fiber Grid Straps*
Are cracks allowing water to seep into your home? Are they minor cracks or more serious?
Not sure? Contact A-1 Basement Solutions for a free in-home inspection today!
