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Leaky Foundation Wall – Crack Solutions

Let’s say you have a crack in your basement wall. He has made sure that it is not a foundation problem, but, nonetheless, the water flows through him into his basement. And you don’t agree with that.

Call three wet basement repair contractors and you will get four different answers on how to fix it. Stop by a hardware store and they’ll give you some more.

The truth of the matter is this: almost every solution you hear about is going to work, sometimes. However, what you want is a wall crack repair that works every time, right?

To this end, Connecticut Basement Systems of Connecticut would like to share with you some of the most common professional and DIY repairs we’ve found for leaky or cracked basement wall foundations.

Repair cracks in the caulking wall

One of the most common crack repairs that you can do yourself is to seal the crack in the wall with caulk. However, this is only a superficial solution. The water will still fill the crevice behind the patch, bringing with it a powdered white mineral salt known as efflorescence. This water and efflorescence will break the bond of the caulk and the concrete, causing the seal to peel off and leak again. We found that this repair typically takes 6 months to a year before failing.

Cement, epoxy and grout hydraulic seals

Instead of using caulk, some basement homeowners and waterproofers will attempt to repair the crack by chiseling into an inverted V-groove and filling it with grout, epoxy, or hydraulic cements.

These seals create rigid and inflexible barriers, and concrete walls will expand and contract over time with humidity and temperature. As they do so, the basement walls work without the plug, resulting in new leaks, or the wall will crack again nearby.

And if they are using epoxy, it should be applied only on a clean, dry surface; this is generally not possible with a crack leak. And the epoxy cures very slowly; while it is healing, it can seep out the back of the wall crack, rendering it ineffective.

Whether you use hydraulic cement, epoxy, or grout, these seals tend to last less than two years on average.

Sealing cracks in exterior foundation walls

An extreme repair option is to excavate the outer perimeter of the base and apply a waterproof coating to the basement walls from the outside. However, this is an expensive and labor-intensive repair. Excavation often requires the removal of anything around the wall, including gardens, steps, sidewalks, patios, shrubs, and other things, and leaves piles of dirt in the yard while the work is done. One year after the dirt has been returned, it will have settled and will need to be leveled.

This option usually works, as long as tar is not used on the walls. But it is also the most expensive and invasive option available.

Polyurethane / Urethane Concrete Wall Crack Filler

The best basement wall crack repair contractors will apply a urethane or polyurethane sealant to the cracks in the wall. These materials can have a very high viscosity, allowing it to seep into small cracks and pores in the cement to create a firm and reliable bond. These materials are flexible and can expand and contract with the wall, helping them last much longer than other options.

Urethane is the weaker of these two options. While it is a flexible material, it can only expand up to about 10% larger than its size. A crack in the wall can easily expand 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch very quickly, which would break a urethane seal.

Polyurethane can expand up to 20 times its size. These seals last approximately 95% of the time and offer the best waterproofing sealer option for your money.

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