Every house will settle after it is built, which makes basement concrete foundation repair a needed project. The soft soil under the concrete foundation shifts making an uneven surface under the concrete, which in turn becomes stressed and cracks. The most common cracks are small vertical cracks. Most cracks don't cause any real problems unless they allow water to seep through. Basement concrete foundation repair is best done by injecting a polymer into the crack.

Pressure Polymer

There are other ways to handle a crack in concrete, but none seem to be as long lasting and efficient as low pressure polymer injection. Many homeowners attempt basement concrete foundation repair with a common caulk material. Caulk provides only a surface repair, and often the crack still lets water through.

If the homeowner chisels out the crack to apply hydraulic cement, this substance will most likely loosen in a few years because it does not really bond well to the concrete or shift and move with the concrete. The result will be water seepage and the basement concrete foundation repair will have to be dealt with again.

Prevention

Some basement concrete cracks can be avoided by proper handling of concrete when it is first poured. For one thing, the forms must be left on a sufficient time for the concrete to harden (about seven days) or the foundation is likely to crack. Moisture from plumbing leaks can also contribute to cracking. The most damaging cracks that require basement concrete foundation repair are those that run horizontally. These can lead to bowing of the wall and subsequent structural damage.

Injected polyurethane is a basement concrete foundation repair method that is permanent and will not weather away. It works as a preventive measure against future damage caused by water leaking through the crack. This substance does not change the strength of the concrete but does form a waterproof barrier.

Injected polyurethane has other advantages as a method of basement concrete foundation repair. It bonds well to concrete whether the concrete is wet or dry. It is also flexible and moves with concrete as it settles, contracts, and expands. Finally, polyurethane can fill a crack in a wall up to two feet thick because it expands forcefully.