Foundation Repair

Crack injection

If your home in has a basement, chances are you have a crack in the foundation, through which water will leak eventually. Even if an existing crack has not yet leaked, over time, the likelihood that water will permeate the crack increases greatly, thanks to the combined effects of thermal movement, drying shrinkage, and other environmental stresses. Although a crack might seem minor or small, it can grow much larger and cause water to leak inside or even result in the loss of structural integrity of the foundation.

Certified Waterproofing Inc. has sucessfully repaired 1000’s of basement cracks over the years, with 100% success. Our skilled professionals can fix these cracks permanently using High-pressure injection of epoxy or polyurethane foam repair materials, without the need for disruptive excavation. Crack injection has been used successfully to repair foundation cracks for many years.

In cases of foundation movement, the company will furnish and install steel I-beam braces on the inside of basement to keep wall from bowing inward. Basement wall cracks, are normally treated by epoxy injection on both the inside and outside of foundation or the company can install an inside wall shield after sealing  leaking cracks.

Our Repair Process

So which material is better for repairing concrete cracks: epoxy or polyurethane foam? The answer isn’t always clear-cut. In many cases, either material can accomplish the task. But here are some general guidelines: If the crack needs to be structurally repaired and the area needs to be as strong or stronger than the concrete around it, use an epoxy. If the crack needs to be repaired only to prevent water leakage or the crack is actively leaking, a polyurethane is the best choice. Here’s a look at the advantages and limitations of each material.

Epoxy Crack Injection

The main advantage of epoxies is their amazing compressive strength, which at 12,000 psi or greater exceeds that of most concrete. That’s why epoxies are the only choice for cracks requiring structural repair. However, epoxies cure very slowly, generally taking hours to harden, so it’s possible for the epoxy to flow out of the backside of the crack before it has hardened, mostly if the backfill outside the wall has separated from the foundation.

Polyurethane Crack Injection

If the main concern is water leaking into the basement, polyurethane foams should be used. These elastomeric, fast-setting foams are most effective for applications involving only crack sealing (waterproofing) and not structural repair. It’s expansion factor will allow the material into even the smallest crevices. Because of their elastomeric nature, they are able to accommodate slight concrete movement so the seal stays intact. They also begin to harden and foam within minutes of injection. This reduces the chances of the material flowing out of an injected crack while still in liquid form, and even if some does leak out, the foam will fill the void. Urethanes are great for basic foundation crack filling. They add almost zero compressive strength, but in most residential applications, you do not need it.

Avoid Superficial Repairs

Many homeowners in St. Louis may be tempted to use caulk or hydraulic cement to patch concrete cracks. Caulk is superficial and will allow water to continue seeping behind the patch material, resulting in efflorescence, and eventually the caulk will peel off exposing an enlarged crack due to freezing and erosion. Hydraulic cement does not bond well, also leading to efflorescence. Eventually, the water seepage will dislodge the cement plug.

Injection products create a win-win situation for Certified Waterproofing Inc. and you the homeowner. We can reliably fix an inconvenience, while saving you thousands of dollars for more extensive repair work and avoiding the inconvenience of excavation.

Avoid DIY basement crack repair kits if possible, there are no money back guarantees with foundation crack repair kits, if the repair doesn’t work you have thrown money away, also when selling the home new homeowners require warranties for the work that was done.