| Foundation Cracks can form on the exterior or interior of your foundation and they need to be repaired ASAP |
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In a leaky basement, foundation cracks can occur for many reasons. Poor construction, soil condition/settlements, and acts of god (earthquake, frost quake, etc). Any of these can cause stress on a foundation wall. Repairing a foundation crack depends on the type of foundation wall and cause of the crack. Depending on the way the foundation crack has formed and how long it is, a foundation crack repair can be done in a few different ways including hydraulic cement, parging cement, or polyurethane crack injection.
Here are a few different types of foundation cracks that could happen:
Most foundation cracks are either vertical or on an angle, but if it is a horizontal crack it can be a structural issue. They can be caused by, soil settlement, natural earth movements, and shrinkage of concrete. These can be fixed internally or externally.
| It’s important to know when your house was built and what type of foundation walls you have. |
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The cracks in the foundation wall of your leaky basement can be caused by the settlement of your home or poor construction practices causing shrinkage in your concrete foundation wall. As mentioned before, these can be fixed through the exterior waterproofing process if the cracks are on the outside of your foundation walls. If they appear on the inside, one way to fix vertical cracks is by sealing and re-bonding the pieces of concrete foundation using a polyurethane mixture that is poured into the foundation crack through injection ports.
Cracks in the concrete floor slab can appear over time due to the settling of the building and poor sub-surface drainage. These often result from a crack or cracks bleeding from foundation walls continuing into your concrete basement floor. These will need to be repaired immediately. Other floor cracks can be fixed much easier but should not be left unattended as they could get progressively worse.
Most often, seeing foundation cracks in a poured concrete foundation is a sign that your home has bigger issues with its foundation walls. Horizontal cracks near the floor can be a sign that the structural integrity of the building has been undermined.
