A crack in your basement wall can indicate serious issues.
If your basement wall has started to show signs of bowing, this means that it is actually sinking into the ground. This is a serious foundation problem that involves the soil beneath your home, and it is not ever recommended that you tackle it yourself. However, if your basement wall has a vertical or diagonal crack through the block, this is something that you can handle yourself as long as you use the right tools and methods. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Check the direction of the crack in your basement wall. If it's horizontal, this is a sign that the wall is bowing. A foundation contractor needs to make the repairs. A vertical or diagonal crack can be repaired by the homeowner.
2. Look for a foundation contractor with the experience needed to fix a bowing basement wall. The contractor should have experience using wall anchors, helical tieback anchors or carbon reinforcing strips, as well as experience with drainage issues, waterproofing, relieving pressure and grading. All of these skills are necessary to correct the bowing issue. In extreme cases, a contractor may need assistance from a licensed engineer, as well.
3. Purchase an epoxy injection system to repair a vertical or diagonal crack. These systems are available at home improvement centers.
4. Insert 3-inch finishing nails every foot or so along the crack by tapping them in place with a hammer.
5. Mix together the two-part epoxy mix that came in the kit. Add some epoxy to the bottom of each injection port that came in your kit and slide them over the finishing nails and into the crack.
6. Spread the rest of the epoxy onto the dry, clean crack using a putty knife. The epoxy should be 1/8 inch thick and spread across and over the crack up to an inch on either side. Wait six to ten hours for the epoxy to dry.
7. Insert the epoxy cartridge from the kit into your caulking gun and use it to inject epoxy directly into the crack using the injection ports. Continue injecting epoxy into each port, starting at the bottom of the wall, until you cannot inject any more.
8. Wait about five days. Then, cut off the injection ports with a hacksaw so they're smooth with the wall, and cover with crack sealer so you can't tell they were there.
Tags: basement wall, your basement, your basement wall, diagonal crack, vertical diagonal
