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Italian Mason Italian Mason is offline
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Default How to fix crack in basement wall?

before you do any repair WAIT... there is no point in spending the time
to fix something that may just break again for the same reason. clean
the area well and make 2 very clear marks one on either side of the
crack and take an ACCURATE measurment of this space.you can put several
at various locations along the crack this will tell you if it is moving
or not, Id wait a month checking every week. If it is moving find the
cause first because it will get worse.. sounds to me like I would check
the floor joist right above the crack and see what is going on.

To fix the crack permantly I would use a 2 part epoxy (H.D. LOWES) in
the section with the foundation fastners, bolts ect. Its in a double
tube that looks like 2 caulking tubes put together and you need a
special gun to use it (can be rented or bought) it is made by Simpson.
There are many "crack fillers" out there but this will actuall rejoin
the 2 parts not just fill the gap.....its exspensive compared to the
others but this stuff WILL NOT crumble, shrink or deteriorate over
time and I assure you if you do not have movement you will never see
that crack there again.....every time I use it im amazed by its
strength.


wrote:
I have a hairline crack in the upper part of basement wall above the
ground. It extends above and a little below the basement window. It
looks like it was repaired in the past from inside with some yellowish
substance, but that substance dried out and cracked. The crack is
visible from the inside and outside.

Now when we have strong wind driven rain the water is seeping through
that crack and then down the window and the wall on the inside.

I would like to repair the crack from the inside and from the outside.


1) What can I use to fix it from outside that is waterproof? The
exterior is grey painted concrete in that place. The fix has to be
liquid enough to penetrate the crack and seal it against the rain.

2) What can I use to fix the crack from the inside? The color does not
matter since it is behind the walls of finished basement.

Thanks!