Concrete Crack Repair in Basement Walls

Concrete cracks in nearly every wall in a basement. Builders and contractors plan for this cracking by placing steel reinforcing inside the concrete walls. Even though the concrete has cracked, this reinforcement maintains the strength of the wall and it is not a problem for a typical home's foundation.

Ways Water gets into the Basement

Unfortunately these concrete cracks allow water to enter the basement. Many homes built today have a waterproofing membrane on the outside of the foundation to control the water and keep it from getting into the basement interior. Older homes are vulnerable to water leaking in because they do not have a waterproofing membrane installed at all. But it is still possible for the crack to be too large for the waterproofing to stretch over the crack and the membrane then tears. Or if the grading is incorrect and slopes toward the house, rainwater will pool next to the home above the level of the waterproofing, enter the concrete crack and flow to the interior. Finally, it is possible for a home's landscaping to be above the protective waterproofing and let water into the concrete crack above the waterproofing membrane.

Repairing the Concrete Crack

Homeowners or professional can fill the crack from the inside of the basement and prevent water from leaking in. Making the repair from the inside is a cost effective and quick method that does not disturb the soil and landscaping on the outside. The repair to the concrete crack is done by injecting an expanding urethane foam into the crack.

Liquid Urethane Foam Injection

The urethane enters the crack as a liquid and when it encounters water, it begins to foam and expand. This expansion forces the foam to completely fill the crack from bottom to top and from front to back. When finished, the foam will keep the water where it belongs, on the outside of the concrete foundation.

The width of the crack does not matter. If water can get through the concrete crack, so can the liquid urethane. This is because the urethane is injected under low pressure with either a standard caulk gun or if done by a professional, by a special dual cartridge gun. A home owner or professional does not have to do any drilling or chiseling to make the crack wider.

While water is required to be present to act as a catalyst to make the urethane to begin to foam, the repair can still be done if the crack is dry. Simply inject 1/2 cup of water into the concrete crack with a spray bottle to make the concrete crack wet inside it.

A Dry Basement

Once the concrete crack is filled with urethane foam water will not be able to leak into the basement. The homeowner can now finish the basement and be sure that the contents will be safe and dry for years to come.

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Spiritual Soul Core Strengthening - Foundation Repair and Building Structural Reinforcement Within

In spring, we often see very strong storms. Many times, the wind blows so hard that trees topple over. This is especially true if the tree is already old, weak or has no foundation of firm roots.

I have a beautiful tree in the middle of my backyard. Last year, while having an annual tree trimming, the service informed me of a deep crack in the middle of the tree. The tree service also told me there was no way to save the tree. Therefore, they suggested I cut the huge tree down. However, my instincts told me differently. Instead of removing the tree, I called another service and asked their opinion. They said that even though the tree was weakened by the crack, it could be strengthened by cabling the trunk together. However, they also warned that there was no guarantee that a very strong wind would not split the tree in two despite any cabling. In the end, I opted to trust my intuition and cable the tree.

Throughout the year, despite my gut telling me that everything would be OK, whenever a strong wind came up, I would watch anxiously to see if the tree could withstand the strain. As each storm came and went, my beautiful tree managed to stay upright, and continued to grow.

Several months ago, it was time again to trim my tree. When the tree service arrived, I inquired about the health of my tree. They showed me the crack in the tree. To my amazement, the tree had begun to heal itself. The cable not only reinforced the strength of the tree, but also allowed it to heal. With this knowledge, the service felt the tree had an excellent chance of living for many years.

Many times, we are like my tree-weak in our foundation. Therefore, we may feel as if we do not have the strength to weather the storms of life. However, you may not realize it, but you have more strength than you know. It is the spirit of God within you. The spirit is the cable that can help you withstand any storm. Furthermore, that cable can renew and heal you. There is no guarantee that you still will not topple over because each of us has choice. Either we can choose to allow the spirit to heal us or, conversely, we can ignore it. Why not recognize the beautiful spirit that is part of you, helping you grow higher and higher, fortifying you against any gust of wind?

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