How to Repair a Poured Concrete Wall
Content
How to Repair a Poured Concrete Wall
Community Q&A
What do you do if you need to repair a poured concrete wall? This article walks you through
repairing it, including wall cracks, cold joints, snap ties, etc.
EditSteps
1.
1
Be aware of the problems that can be caused by water intrusion that occurs in
poured concrete foundations. The causes include:
o
o
Improperly sealed snap ties.
Cold joints (where new concrete meets existing concrete i.e. in an addition of a
home).
o
Water, well, sewer, and electrical conduit pipe penetrations.
2.
2
Foundation wall cracks.
o
On rare occasions, water can come through a concrete wall that hasn't been
properly vibrated thus creating a honeycomb area in the concrete.
3.
3
Repair wall cracks. The only way to repair foundation wall cracks successfully is by the
injection process. Injecting a typical wall crack with an epoxy or urethane resin is done
under pressure pushing the material from the inside all the way to the outside.
o
o
o
The injection process fills the crack from top to bottom, from inside to outside.
This repairs and stops the water intrusion.
The old process of v-ing out a crack from the inside or outside and patching it
with hydraulic cement or water plug will not work.
Foundations are prone to movement and because the hydraulic cement or water
plug doesn’t have the strength to withstand future movement it will crack and
cause the foundation wall crack to fail.
4.
4
o
Epoxy injections are considered structural repairs and will weld the foundation
back together when done properly. Urethane injections will stop water but are not
considered structural fixes. It is however flexible and can withstand movement in
the foundation. Newer cracks on homes that have been allowed to settle for at
least 1-2 yrs are good candidates for epoxy injection. Because epoxy is like
superglue gluing or welding the foundation together it needs a fairly clean crack
in order to be successful.
o
For older homes that have had cracks previously repaired and have dirt and silt
built up inside them, a urethane injection will be more successful in stopping
water.
Repair cold joints. Because no chemical bond is created when new concrete is poured
against old concrete, cold joints, such as when you put an addition on your home, will
often leak water. After the addition has been able to settle for a period of 1-2 yrs, the
proper repair to stop water coming through a cold joint would be a urethane injection.
5.
5
Repair snap ties and tie rods. Metal snap ties and tie rods are used to hold the forms of
a foundation in place while it is being poured. After the forms are removed, the snap ties
on the outside are typically coated with a flexible polymer or hydraulic cement before a
damp proof or water proofing membrane is applied to the foundation. These snap ties can
leak over time if the prep work is not done properly.
o
Inject a snap tie under pressure from the inside with a urethane resin will stop
them from leaking.
6.
6
Repair pipe penetrations. During the construction of a home, holes in the foundations
are cored to allow for water, well, sewer and electrical conduits to penetrate through the
foundation. For example, a typical sewer line is 4 inches (10.2 cm) around. The hole cord
maybe up to 5 inches (12.7 cm) or more thus leaving a void between the outside of the
sewer pipe and the concrete. Prior to backfilling the foundation on the outside, these
voids are typically filled with hydraulic cement. Improper preparation around pipe
penetration can cause water intrusion.
o
To stop a pipe penetration from leaking, an injection of a urethane resin that
expands up to 20x its volume thus filling the void from inside to outside should be
used. Injecting around a pipe penetration from the inside will stop water seepage.
7.
7
Repair honeycomb areas. A honeycomb area in a foundation is the result of improper
vibration or settling of the concrete thus leaving voids and pockets in the wall. Injecting a
urethane resin under pressure will seal and fill these voids and pockets thus stopping the
leak.
Community Q&A
What do you do if you need to repair a poured concrete wall? This article walks you through
repairing it, including wall cracks, cold joints, snap ties, etc.
EditSteps
1.
1
Be aware of the problems that can be caused by water intrusion that occurs in
poured concrete foundations. The causes include:
o
o
Improperly sealed snap ties.
Cold joints (where new concrete meets existing concrete i.e. in an addition of a
home).
o
Water, well, sewer, and electrical conduit pipe penetrations.
2.
2
Foundation wall cracks.
o
On rare occasions, water can come through a concrete wall that hasn't been
properly vibrated thus creating a honeycomb area in the concrete.
3.
3
Repair wall cracks. The only way to repair foundation wall cracks successfully is by the
injection process. Injecting a typical wall crack with an epoxy or urethane resin is done
under pressure pushing the material from the inside all the way to the outside.
o
o
o
The injection process fills the crack from top to bottom, from inside to outside.
This repairs and stops the water intrusion.
The old process of v-ing out a crack from the inside or outside and patching it
with hydraulic cement or water plug will not work.
Foundations are prone to movement and because the hydraulic cement or water
plug doesn’t have the strength to withstand future movement it will crack and
cause the foundation wall crack to fail.
4.
4
o
Epoxy injections are considered structural repairs and will weld the foundation
back together when done properly. Urethane injections will stop water but are not
considered structural fixes. It is however flexible and can withstand movement in
the foundation. Newer cracks on homes that have been allowed to settle for at
least 1-2 yrs are good candidates for epoxy injection. Because epoxy is like
superglue gluing or welding the foundation together it needs a fairly clean crack
in order to be successful.
o
For older homes that have had cracks previously repaired and have dirt and silt
built up inside them, a urethane injection will be more successful in stopping
water.
Repair cold joints. Because no chemical bond is created when new concrete is poured
against old concrete, cold joints, such as when you put an addition on your home, will
often leak water. After the addition has been able to settle for a period of 1-2 yrs, the
proper repair to stop water coming through a cold joint would be a urethane injection.
5.
5
Repair snap ties and tie rods. Metal snap ties and tie rods are used to hold the forms of
a foundation in place while it is being poured. After the forms are removed, the snap ties
on the outside are typically coated with a flexible polymer or hydraulic cement before a
damp proof or water proofing membrane is applied to the foundation. These snap ties can
leak over time if the prep work is not done properly.
o
Inject a snap tie under pressure from the inside with a urethane resin will stop
them from leaking.
6.
6
Repair pipe penetrations. During the construction of a home, holes in the foundations
are cored to allow for water, well, sewer and electrical conduits to penetrate through the
foundation. For example, a typical sewer line is 4 inches (10.2 cm) around. The hole cord
maybe up to 5 inches (12.7 cm) or more thus leaving a void between the outside of the
sewer pipe and the concrete. Prior to backfilling the foundation on the outside, these
voids are typically filled with hydraulic cement. Improper preparation around pipe
penetration can cause water intrusion.
o
To stop a pipe penetration from leaking, an injection of a urethane resin that
expands up to 20x its volume thus filling the void from inside to outside should be
used. Injecting around a pipe penetration from the inside will stop water seepage.
7.
7
Repair honeycomb areas. A honeycomb area in a foundation is the result of improper
vibration or settling of the concrete thus leaving voids and pockets in the wall. Injecting a
urethane resin under pressure will seal and fill these voids and pockets thus stopping the
leak.
