The correct principle for eliminating cracks in a brick wall. A crack has appeared in the wall of the house: what to do? The wall of the house has cracked, what should I do?

Many people know the expression of the famous poetess Faina Ranevskaya that after a few years life gives cracks, which will grow over time if they are not patched up in time. Same with residential building, if a split or small crack appears on the load-bearing wall, then it is urgently necessary to address this problem.

The very first question that comes to mind is “ What to do if a brick wall is cracked?”

First of all, you need to consult with a professional builder, because a person who does not have even a minimum level of knowledge in the field of foundation construction and repair will find it very difficult to understand how to get rid of this problem once and for all.

Why does brick crack and how to repair cracks in brick wall, and similar to brickwork? These questions need to be examined from many angles. So let's get started.

Types and causes of crack formation

Today, construction companies offer revolutionary, strong and durable Portland cement, which has revolutionized construction materials. It is distinguished not only by its durability, but also by its instant hardening speed, which is perhaps its main advantage among its competitors in the field of reinforcing materials.

Everyone experienced builders what is known is that immediately after construction, the building does not immediately take its place firmly and for a long time in the main foundation, this process takes about five to ten years, and the cement mortar, on the contrary, very quickly gains its strength. Such a very large difference between the subsidence time and settlement of the house can lead to the appearance of cracks and large splits, which will intensively tear apart the mass of load-bearing masonry.

Well, as for the solution of lime with the addition of sand, things are much simpler. It hardens quite slowly and when settlement of the foundation itself begins, empty or through voids should not appear in the walls. This strengthening technology is mainly used exclusively for the construction of new houses according to today's standard, and as time shows, in new buildings there are no problems with cracks and settlement of the foundation for a long time.

Builders - specialists divide cracks among themselves in brickwork according to the following signs:

What causes them to appear: deformation of the house structure, shrinkage or temperature wear of a residential building;
External and internal view the destruction itself on the wall: Split, rupture, cut;
Direction of destruction: horizontal, vertical, inclined at various angles;
Shape: curved, straight, closed or broken in half (that is, it almost does not reach the edge of the load-bearing wall).
Size and depth: on the surface of the wall and inside it;
How complex renovation work what is the risk of wall destruction: dangerous and non-hazardous;
Time since destruction: stable or unstable;
Size of the opening of the split or crack itself: microscopic (up to one millimeter), small (up to three millimeters), medium (from four to eight millimeters), large (more than ten millimeters), very large (from fifteen millimeters or more).

Several main reasons for the appearance of such destruction on the wall, of which there are quite a lot:

Settlement or destruction of the soil itself. This problem can be caused by uneven natural burning of the soil (its strong and weak sections), incorrect and unacceptable load of the main foundation, leakage into the soil very large quantity runoff and polluted waters. It is these reasons that can lead to the appearance of large indirect splits or to the formation vertical cracks, which can reach right up to the edge of the load-bearing wall and so on.
The soil on which the house stands is very hardened. This phenomenon can be caused by severe frosts, which can cause uneven lifting of the foundation. In particular, soil hardening is very dangerous for an unfinished building, the walls of which have not yet hardened and have not acquired the necessary stability. In this particular case, uneven and deep cracks may form near the walls, and when the soil begins to melt after winter, the opposite process may most likely occur - settlement of the foundation, which can lead to new damage to the load-bearing walls.
New repairs to a load-bearing wall may be needed after a small building or room has been added, as the foundation may not be able to support the new, additional weight and may settle.
Uneven and inconsistent loads on the foundation of the house. For example, if the house is built in the Art Nouveau style, then luxurious and long glazing (which is very often used in this architectural style) can alternate quite often with small blind areas of the house, which will lead to a large difference in weight and ground settlement.
If the pit is located next to the building, then very high temperature conditions also have a detrimental effect on the soil, which in the future can lead not only to soil settlement, but also to its excessive looseness. It is for these reasons that medium-sized cracks can form on the walls.
Extra load due to neighboring houses. On a common foundation, the zones of greatest stress are superimposed on each other and allow the soil to settle very strongly.
The reasons may lie not only in the soil itself, but also above it. For example, collecting heavy building material in large quantities next to an unfinished building and already in the ground itself, additional loads and stresses can appear, and they can cause very strong external settlement of the foundation and the appearance of large cracks and splits.
Constant impacts on the foundation. For example, if you are driving piles on the territory of a residential building, you are constantly moving heavy vehicles, compressors are running - all this leads to the sinking of sandy soil and a strong softening of clay masses in the soil. The combination of all these factors can result in soil settlement and cracks in load-bearing walls.
High temperatures can cause vertical cracks and splits in the walls of your home. Repairing cracks in masonry is mainly required for longer buildings that do not have expansion joints.
Overloading of brickwork. In this case, cracks may appear between the walls and on the pillars. Such cracks can be identified by the characteristic closedness and verticality of their direction. Overload of masonry. They appear in walls and on pillars. Characteristic sign crush cracks – closedness and vertical direction.
Various non-hazardous shrinkage deformations can be observed on the plastered walls of a house - these can be small or not large cracks, which are very randomly scattered across the entire wall area and are mostly closed, and the most important thing is that they do not reach the edge of the wall. They appear due to shrinkage of an overly thick plaster mortar.

Crack sealing technology

There are many ways to repair a crack in brickwork:

You can install a brick lock or a lock with an anchor;
Reinforcement of walls using tension bolts;
Repairing a through crack with steel staples;
Carry out repair work in the area where the floor slab is unlocked;
Strengthen the cracked wall;
Make an overlay from hardened steel;
Install special brackets
Install the floor slab;
Cover the wall with a finishing layer.

Watch this video for more details:

Conclusion

Judging by all of the above, it can be noted that the general condition of a house made of building bricks must be monitored very carefully. Since the sooner a crack or split is detected, the less time and money will have to be spent on fixing this problem.

Types and causes of cracks in walls

Wall cracks can be classified by dividing them into groups:

Due to: shrinkage, deformation, temperature, structural, as well as those arising from wear or weathering of walls.
By destruction: shearing, crushing and rupture.
Direction: inclined, vertical and horizontal.
By outline: curved, straight and closed (not touching the edges of the walls).
By depth: through and surface cracks.
According to the degree of risk: dangerous and not dangerous.
By time: stable and unstable cracks.
By opening size: large - more than 1 mm, small - up to 0.3 mm, hair - up to 0.1 mm, developed - up to 0.5 mm.

The main causes of cracks in walls can be:

Uneven compression of soils. The cracks on the walls are inclined and reach their edges. By the size of the opening of the cracks and their direction, you can determine the type of settlement and deformation of the building, as well as find the location of the cause of the defect. In addition, precipitation can occur from uneven load on foundations, soil leakage into old pipes, soil damage during construction and for other reasons.
Availability of extensions or superstructures. They cause a change in the state of the foundation: additional compressive stress appears in the soil under the building, resulting in settlement of the foundation. In this case, the adjacent walls may have inclined cracks with a “downward” direction, and an “upward” opening. The same phenomena often occur when a partial superstructure occurs along the length of the building.
Uneven load on the foundation along the length of the building. The longitudinal walls of buildings often have glazed areas of considerable size, extending into the blind parts of above-ground structures. All of them create different loads on the foundation, making its settlement uneven. With a large load from the floors on the longitudinal internal walls, settlement may also occur. Cracks appear in the corners of the transverse walls.
Construction of a pit near an existing building. In this case, the building turns out to be located near or on the slope. Ground shifts affect the area where the foundation is located, and inclined cracks appear in the walls from the pit side. Sometimes the slope of the adjacent wall is associated with the threat of its collapse.
Interaction of adjacent foundations. In this case, the stressed sections of the foundations overlap each other and increase the local compression of the soil. They have an inclination towards each other provided that buildings are erected simultaneously, if the buildings are built in different time, the tilt occurs towards the building, which was erected later. An existing building on stilts, for example, can develop settlement and inclined cracks in the walls when a new building on a natural foundation is located close to it.
Impact of surface loads. They can arise from storing industrial raw materials, building materials or products near walls. The impact of such loads causes compression of the soil and settlement of the foundation, causing cracks.
Dynamic influences. These include the movement of loaded vehicles, driving piles, the operation of compressors and hammers in production workshops etc. Such impacts affect the foundation soil and can lead to the formation of cracks in above-ground structures. At the same time, sandy soils become compacted, while clay soils soften. As a result of such processes, foundation settlement occurs.
Soil freezing and thawing. Freezing of the foundations can cause foundations to rise by heaving forces. This process is especially dangerous for buildings under construction, when their walls are light in weight and have low bending rigidity. The walls on which all other floors need to be erected receive numerous cracks, which negatively affects further work. The settlement of foundations when the soil thaws is greater than when it freezes, and the walls may receive new cracks. The presence of basements often aggravates the situation: external walls can be separated from transverse partitions. In this case, cracks occur along the entire height of the structures and can cause a violation of their stability.
Temperature deformations. They can cause cracks if the building is long and lacks expansion joints. Damage in this case occurs in the middle part of the structure, the cracks have a vertical direction.
Shrinkage deformations. Cracks resulting from their influence usually appear in the corners of wall openings in large-panel buildings and have a radial direction. Such damage is not dangerous. Small closed, randomly located or oriented cracks sometimes appear on plastered walls that do not reach the corners. Their cause is the shrinkage of a solution of high fat content.
Wall overload. It leads to crushing of the masonry and is accompanied by the appearance of cracks in supporting structures, pillars and walls. The cracks are closed and have a vertical direction. They are the initial sign of wall failure and are extremely dangerous. Local deformations when overloading the structures of old buildings are manifested by cracks in the places of support of beams and trusses.
Material wear. Periodic changes in air temperature and humidity affect the integrity of brick walls. Due to weathering, small cracks may appear on them over time. They are shallow and do not pose a danger to massive structures.

In addition to the above reasons, cracks may appear at the junction of old and new walls, depending on the order of masonry, etc. Such cracks are straight, open along their entire height and are not dangerous. Sometimes cracks may also appear at the junctions of partitions and ceilings. They indicate deflection of beams, settlement of the floor or shrinkage of the wall material.

Before you repair cracks in the wall, you should carefully examine them. When visually examining cracks, the depth of their opening, age, location and direction are determined. When damage to walls occurs at different times and for various reasons, their analysis becomes much more complicated.

For it you need to have documentation on the history of design, engineering geology, operation of the structure, location of underground communications and a detailed design. To visually present the results of the inspection, cracks are indicated on the drawings of internal walls and facades, then numbered indicating the beginning of their opening at a given moment in time.

Technology for eliminating cracks in walls

After diagnosing wall cracks and eliminating the causes of their occurrence, problem areas can be sealed in various ways.

Repairing stable cracks in a wall

Cracks of small depth can be eliminated by plastering with mortar. When mixing, add cement putty or PVA glue to it. Plastering should be carried out on a previously prepared area of the defective surface. To do this, before eliminating a crack in the wall, the problem area and the area adjacent to it must be cleaned of destroyed fragments and dust, primed, and a special reinforcing tape applied to the crack.

Cracks of medium opening size are eliminated using a metal mesh. In this case, the destroyed wall covering must be removed, and the resulting solid base must be primed. Then along the crack you should drill holes in 30 cm increments for mounting dowels, insert them and secure the mesh with screws equipped with wide washers.

The mesh size of the metal mesh is 5x5 cm. If it is necessary to apply several strips of mesh to a large emergency area, they are overlapped by at least 10 cm. Plaster mortar must be applied to the wall through a mesh. After this, the surface should be slightly leveled, wait for it to dry completely and apply finishing layer plaster.

You can effectively repair cracks in walls polyurethane foam. During polymerization, it increases slightly in volume, so its dried excess must be cut off with a knife and then covered problem area any suitable finishing material: plaster, paint, etc.

Repairing unstable cracks in walls

It is not difficult to identify a progressive crack. To do this, you will need strips of paper that need to be glued in the middle, bottom and top across the crack. If after some time the strips break, you will need to look for and eliminate the causes of the defect.

The development of large cracks that have a significant opening can be stopped by installing a channel (anchor) or metal plates. The work is done this way:

First, you need to knock off the plaster from the damaged section of the wall, guided by the length of the selected plate. If it is 1 m, then the surface should be cleaned 50 cm on each side of the crack. The depth of the resulting groove must be equal to the thickness of the plate.
Its fastening is carried out depending on the material and thickness of the wall using dowels or long bolts. For the last option, through drilling of the structure is performed.
The crack and grooves should be cleaned and filled with foam, and then the anchor should be inserted into the recess and secured with fasteners. It is recommended to install the screed system in three places in the problem area: across it near the end and beginning of the crack, as well as in its middle. After this, you need to fix the reinforcing material in the emergency area and perform plastering.

A similar operation can be performed using staples instead of plates:

They can be made from reinforcement. After selecting the rods of the required length, their ends should be bent at a right angle by 15-20 cm.
Then across the crack in several places it is necessary to make grooves so that the staples sit in them deeper than the level of the existing wall surface. For example, with a reinforcement diameter of 10 mm, the depth of the furrows should be 13-15 mm.
The ends of the staples must be inserted into pre-drilled holes. Hammering staples is excluded, as this process can lead to expansion of the crack.
After installing the required number of staples, you need to perform the standard procedure: cleaning the surface, priming it, reinforcing it and plastering it.

How to remove cracks in a drywall wall

Such coatings are characterized by small cracks. Defects in the form of cobwebs indicate that when finishing the walls, too large a layer was applied to the gypsum board sheets gypsum putty or the thermal regime is disrupted when drying it using heaters and hair dryers. Vertical or horizontal cracks usually occur at the joints of sheets. The sources of such defects may be a weakening of the metal frame of the wall or the absence of reinforcing tape at the gypsum board seams.

You can get rid of the “cobwebs” only by removing the damaged layer and applying a new one; its thickness should not exceed 2 mm. If it is necessary to apply another layer, you need to wait until the previous one dries.

When the frame is weakened, sealing cracks in a gypsum board wall is very problematic. And when reliable fastening coating, its defects can be easily eliminated:

Cracks must be cut at an angle of 45 degrees sharp knife.
The resulting grooves should be filled with gypsum mixture.
Place reinforcing sickle tape on top of the closed crack, then level the surface with putty and sand with an abrasive mesh.

How to repair cracks in a plaster wall

Before covering cracks in the wall, the peeling plaster must be completely removed, then primed and a new coating applied. Before performing this work, you should read the instructions on the packaging of the material. It indicates the mixing proportions and the recommended layer thickness.

You can hide existing cracks in the plaster using fiberglass. It will prevent the expansion of old cracks and the formation of new ones. Before starting work, it should be sealed gypsum putty deep recesses and apply a penetrating primer to the wall.

How to remove cracks in log cabin walls

Cracks in the walls of wooden buildings occur due to exposure to moisture inner layers logs or beams. The formation of such cracks can be minimized by means of a compensation recess, which is sawed along the entire length of the log to a depth of no more than 1/5 of its diameter.

The formation of large cracks in old wooden buildings is not a reason to panic. These defects do not pose a danger and absolutely do not affect the performance of the walls. An example of this is the log houses covered with cracks, erected in remote villages decades ago.

Therefore, repairing cracks in the walls of log houses is only of an aesthetic nature. You can use various materials for this, but none of them are durable.

The sealant does not provide long-term adhesion to wood; cracks in it will have to be repaired every 2 years, applying new layers on top of the old ones. Wood, absorbing and releasing moisture depending on the season, periodically changes its volume. For this reason, any sealing material will peel off.

The optimal solution when sealing cracks in timber or logs is to caulk the cracks with flax hemp braids or moss.

Preventing cracks in the wall

As mentioned above, the main reasons for the appearance of dangerous cracks are foundation deformations. Therefore, when designing them, it is necessary to comply with a number of requirements:

Columnar foundations located in heaving soils must be fastened lower harnesses or grillages.
In houses with basement floors or technical basements, it is better to make recessed walls in a monolithic design. However, it is not recommended to connect them with reinforcement into a solid structure with a slab foundation.
The bases of heaving soils should not freeze under slab foundations when the frame of the house is built.
The widening of drill supports should be located below the freezing level of heaving soils.

To prevent the appearance of cracks, the following measures can be taken:

Dismantling of emergency walls and installation of new block or brickwork;
Production of monolithic concrete reinforcing belt;
Replacement or strengthening of supports;
Restoration of the blind area;
Increasing the length of load-bearing walls and strengthening piers.

How to remove cracks in walls - watch the video:

Most of the cracks that appear on the walls of houses are caused by violations technical specifications, rules, building codes, lack of supervision over their compliance or low qualifications of performers. Therefore, when constructing buildings, it is important to prevent all this from happening. Good luck!

Many owners of brick country houses face such a problem as cracks in the walls. Of course, such defects need to be eliminated as quickly as possible. Cracks in the walls not only spoil appearance home, but also have a negative impact on its performance characteristics. Moreover, such defects in some cases can even lead to the collapse of the building.

Step-by-step instruction

Cracks in brick walls are usually repaired in several stages. To eliminate such a defect, you need:

determine the nature of its occurrence;
eliminate identified deficiencies in order to prevent crack expansion;
carry out a control check;
Depending on the width of the crack and its nature, choose a method for eliminating it.

Actually, there are several methods of sealing themselves:

using cement mortar;
using polyurethane foam;
by replacing the damaged section of masonry.

The main causes of the defect

What and how to repair cracks in houses? The answer to this question depends on many factors. Before you begin to eliminate such a defect, of course, you need to find out why, in fact, it could have appeared. Most often, cracks are a consequence of non-compliance with construction technology. This could be, for example, an incorrectly selected type of foundation or roof design, various kinds violations of technology when performing masonry, etc. Also, cracks in walls often appear:

as a result of improper redistribution of the load on the walls (during the addition of a building or during its redevelopment);
due to temperature deformations;
when laying utilities under the foundation;
during construction ground floor under an already constructed building without strengthening the foundation;
as a result of wear and aging of the material.

Sometimes cracks can occur due to declines underneath the building. This often happens, for example, due to the redistribution of groundwater.

According to regulations, repairs to cracks in brick walls should be carried out only after the identified cause of their appearance has been eliminated. That is, if necessary, you should first strengthen the foundation, tie the wall using metal locks, and raise it bearing capacity etc. In any case, it is allowed to seal only those cracks that have already stopped expanding.

How to determine the stability of a defect

It is not difficult to find out that a crack has stopped spreading. To do this, you just need to stick several beacon pieces of paper across it. If they don't break in about a couple of weeks, the cracking has stopped. The easiest way to stick the pieces of paper is on PVA. You can also use Moment glue.

How to repair a crack in a brick wall at home: choosing a technique

Once the problem that caused the crack has been resolved, you can begin the actual repair work. In brick walls this procedure is usually performed:

using cement mortar;
using polyurethane foam.

With use, you can easily remove a blind crack from the wall. usually finished with a fairly thick layer of plaster. This is where such defects most often appear. Cement mortar can also be used to seal through cracks. The use of these materials, however, is allowed only if the size of such a crack does not exceed 10.1 mm. If this indicator is higher, the damaged section of the masonry will have to be dismantled.

with your own hands, if it is not through

Such defects usually occur in the plaster after it has dried due to a violation of the application technology, as well as as a result of aging of the material, etc. In any case, it will not be difficult to fix a blind crack yourself.

The methods and procedure for sealing cracks in brick walls (non-through) depend on what exactly the defect is. Very often, for example, so-called “cobwebs” appear on the plastered surface, that is, a network of small cracks. To get rid of this defect, you must first clean the problem area completely. The easiest way to do this is with a narrow metal spatula. After the collapsed plaster has been removed, you can begin finishing the area with a new layer of gypsum or cement-sand mixture. Before applying it, the brickwork should be cleaned of dust and moistened with water using a broom.

Sometimes individual large cracks appear in the plaster. Such defects usually occur in the area of windows and doors. Most often, their appearance is caused by changes in the house. To eliminate such defects, they must first be expanded. To do this, you can use a chisel or any other tool suitable for such work. Next, the crack should be thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt. The easiest way to do this is with a regular household vacuum cleaner.

After the crack has been cleared, its inner surface should be wetted with water using a spray bottle. Cement mortar for sealing is prepared in a ratio of 1:3. You can also purchase a special dry mixture in the store. The crack should be filled with excess solution. Ultimately, he should close it completely and even protrude a little beyond. A reinforcing mesh tape must be pressed into the still fresh solution (along the entire length of the crack). After a few minutes, you need to apply a little more solution to the wall. Ultimately, the tape should be completely covered with the mixture. After the solution has dried, the repaired area should be treated using a special grater.

Sealing narrow through cracks in brickwork with concrete mixture

Solution in in this case should be made on the basis of high grade cement (preferably M400). Typically used as a plasticizer for cracks up to 5 mm wide. river sand. Of course, before starting work, it must be sifted. If the width of the crack exceeds 5 mm, a little fine sand should be added to the mixture. quarry sand. In order for such a procedure as sealing cracks in brick walls with your own hands to be successful, before use concrete mixture It is advisable to drive metal T-shaped anchors into the cavity (fixed with dowels).

Also, additional strengthening can be done using a special metal lock(thick plate). The latter is fixed across the crack onto an anchor. The lock is installed as the defect develops. If the crack expands from bottom to top, the plate is applied closer to the ceiling. Sometimes the wall is strengthened using ordinary steel brackets. The latter must be driven into it to at least half the thickness.

Actually, the answer to the question of how to repair a crack in a brick wall of a house is essentially given above. This procedure is performed using approximately the same technology as when adjusting plaster. That is, first the crack is widened and cleaned. Then its cavity is moistened with water from a spray bottle. Then the crack is clogged cement mortar.

Using polyurethane foam

This material will also help answer the question of how to repair a crack in a brick wall of a house. However, polyurethane foam must be used carefully. When using it, you should always keep in mind that, as it expands, it can enlarge the crack. Therefore, foam should be applied in small quantities. Subsequently in in the right places it can be simply added.

After the foam has completely dried, cleaning should be done. First, the excess material protruding outward is simply cut off with a sharp knife. Then the foam is cleaned along the crack to a depth of several millimeters. This is necessary so that the plaster layer applied on top lays down as firmly as possible and does not subsequently crumble. To further strengthen the finish in this case, it is also advisable to use mesh tape.

How to repair a wide crack

So, let's find out how to repair a crack in a brick wall of a house, if it is not too big. Defects wider than 10.1 mm, as already mentioned, can only be eliminated by dismantling the masonry. This procedure must be performed as carefully as possible. Begin dismantling the masonry exclusively from the top row. You cannot knock bricks out of the wall.

Replacing a new one brickwork performed according to the “lock” principle with ligation of the seams. In this case, reinforcing metal plates are used. The latter should cover the gap completely. Instead of plates, you can use regular thick reinforcement.

Instead of a conclusion

Thus, we have figured out how to repair a crack in a brick wall of a house. The methods described in the article are suitable for both residential buildings and commercial or industrial buildings. The main thing when eliminating such defects is to strictly adhere to the required technology. In this case, the crack will never appear again, and the wall itself will perform its functions as efficiently as possible.

Foundation crack

If in a private house, garage or dacha there are cracks in the walls, or the foundation is cracked, you don’t have to fall into despair; you can correct the damage that has occurred. The reasons for the appearance of such defects are uneven settlement of soils, structural miscalculations at the design stage, errors during construction work or the influence of natural, mechanical influences on the base structure. Cracks in the foundation must be eliminated, otherwise the load-bearing capacity of the house’s structures may be impaired and an irreversible consequence of collapse may occur.

Foundation cracks can be classified according to the location of their occurrence:

A horizontal foundation crack is a common type of fault that occurs due to errors in masonry technology and incorrect selection of the composition of building mortars. Most often, horizontal cracks appear on strip structures built in stages. Horizontal cracks do not pose a significant threat; however, it is recommended to repair cracks in a timely manner to prevent their further development.
A vertical crack appears due to deformation of the foundation structure under the influence of soil swelling forces and from rising groundwater levels. The appearance of vertical cracks indicates the beginning of the process of destruction of the supporting structure, so they should be eliminated as quickly as possible. If the foundation is cracked vertically, it is recommended to strengthen the base of the structure cushion.

To prevent cracks from appearing supporting structure home, it is recommended at the design stage to conduct a thorough assessment of the geology of the foundation soils, not to skimp on the purchase of high-quality building materials, to correctly calculate the maximum loads and to take into account the possibility of soil changes under the influence of various natural factors.

Horizontal foundation failure

Causes of foundation deformation

Before starting repairs to the foundation structure, it is necessary to determine the reason why the foundation is cracked and choose the right effective method eliminating any violations that have arisen. The most common reasons why a foundation could burst could be the following factors.

Technological reasons

If, during construction work on the construction of the foundation structure, violations of mandatory technological process, then all these errors will lead to destructive deformations. Therefore, it is so important to correctly reinforce the base, consistently install the formwork system, select the correct grade of concrete mixture, and take into account the freezing depth and groundwater level in the area.

Operational reasons

Another reason for the opening of cracks in the foundation may be a violation of the operating regime of house construction. For example, on an existing foundation one-story house The homeowner decided to add a second floor. Such an increase in load can negatively affect the load-bearing capacity of the base structure and significant damage will appear on the foundation of the house.

High humidity in the basement of the building and lack of drainage from the building - all these factors can be attributed to the operational causes of cracks.

Structural reasons

Scheme of occurrence of foundation cracks

At the design stage of a building, it is necessary to conduct a geological study of the foundation soils of the building site and correctly calculate the load on the foundation structure. If for some reason such miscalculations are made, then significant deformation changes in the foundation structures may certainly occur.

Observation of cracks

When a crack appears in the foundation, experts advise monitoring the change in the size of the crack rupture to see if it will increase over time. The process of identifying the nature of crack destruction occurs in the following order:

The open crack should be carefully cleaned of any remaining plaster, dirt and dust.
Small gypsum beacons with a thickness of no more than 5 mm are installed with a certain pitch. After this, we monitor their condition.
If within two or three weeks the beacons do not crack and no new deformations appear, then the foundation structure is not in danger and the crack on the surface most likely formed due to shrinkage of the building.

A video tutorial on installing beacons can be seen:

Repairing simple cracks

Repair of simple shrinkage cracks is carried out in several steps:

First, the crack cavity is cleared of dust and washed with water.
Afterwards, the dry crack is coated to the full possible depth with a primer for external use.
The crack cavity is filled with special sealants or cement mortar with a cement grade of at least 500.

Clearing a simple crack

Crack repair methods

Methods for repairing foundation cracks are selected depending on the type of materials main walls buildings. For stone, brick or wooden walls There are special schemes for sealing cracks:

Strengthening the foundation of a stone or cinder block house is done with reinforced concrete clips, which are mounted on both sides of the foundation.
Foundation wooden house rarely becomes covered with deformation cracks. But if this happens, you can use jacks to lift wooden building, having previously cleared all rooms of furniture.
When strengthening the foundations of brick houses, it is possible to use two methods: fill the basement wall with a concrete mixture according to a pre-installed mixture along the entire perimeter metal frame or install drilled injection piles. The second method is very effective; with this method it is possible to restore an almost destroyed foundation, but the price of such strengthening is quite high.

Video example of strengthening the foundation of a wooden house:

Ways to strengthen the foundation

Before strengthening the foundation, if cracks appear on the walls, it is necessary to choose the most suitable method for eliminating the occurrence of deformations. Modern construction technologies sealing cracks in the foundation provides optimal recommendations on what to do in such cases. The following methods of strengthening the foundation are usually used.

Reinforcement of the sole with a new design

First, the broken foundation is pre-cleaned of dirt and dust, and the cracks are filled with a repair solution. Under the deformed section of the structure, a small trench no more than 60 cm wide is dug in a checkerboard pattern to a depth of 200-300 mm below the base of the foundation. The open base of the foundation must be filled with concrete mixture and thoroughly compacted.

After backfilling and compacting the soil, thus strengthening the base area, it is possible to repair the next cracked area after a distance of 60 cm.

Reinforcement with special piles

The pile method of strengthening a cracked foundation is the most effective way. There are several types of piles according to the method of their installation:

Screw piles. The simplest and most common type of strengthening cracked foundations, which does not require special skills. The pile design has the form of a pipe with helical blades at the end. When installing, the pile is screwed into the ground, only the tip remains visible on the surface.
Bored piles have a hollow structure 2 m high, into which metal reinforcement is inserted and after which the entire cavity is filled with concrete mixture. Before installing bored piles, wells are drilled in increments of 1.5 to 2 m.
The use of a driven method for installing piles is not suitable for dilapidated buildings, since the walls of the building may crack from impacts from the pile driver.

Strengthening the foundation with screw piles

Additional reinforcement when strengthening the base

Strengthening a broken foundation using additional reinforcement involves tying the entire basement part of the building with a reinforcing mesh consisting of longitudinal and transverse metal fittings, installing formwork and pouring a concrete mixture of grade no lower than 200. This technology for strengthening the foundation is the most popular and less labor-intensive than other methods.

If foundation cracks appear, you should carefully study the recommendations and instructions for eliminating them. Of course, it is always more difficult to repair than to build, so it is better not to make mistakes and not to disrupt the technological construction process. Then there will be no need to strengthen the foundation.

All cracks that appear on the foundation of the house indicate that the base of the structure needs to be strengthened or repaired. But in order to do this with your own hands, you need to know about the reasons for the destruction of the foundation, as well as how exactly restoration work should be carried out

Why are cracks dangerous?

If the foundation of a building is cracked, work must begin immediately to restore it. If this is not done, after a while, due to the skew of the house, the doors and windows will begin to jam. If the house is made of brick, the crack may spread to the wall, causing the entire structure to begin to collapse. That is why it is necessary to begin work on strengthening the foundation as soon as possible.

Before starting restoration work, it is worth determining the type of crack. To do this, just clean it from dust and rinse with water. After this, you need to install a beacon on the fault. The date of fixation is marked on it. This is necessary to determine the rate of destruction of the base. If the lighthouse remains intact within two weeks, the crack can simply be repaired concrete mortar. If the lighthouse breaks, it is necessary to begin work to strengthen the base.

Typically, cracks begin to appear in winter or spring, since it is at this time that an improperly created foundation begins to rise or settle unevenly. It is worth remembering that the foundation can burst due to many reasons, so it is necessary to think about this problem at the stage of designing a house.

Causes of faults

Before the start restoration work it is necessary to determine the reason why the destruction began. If these actions are neglected, even after repair the foundation will gradually collapse. The causes of destruction can be divided into several groups:

Technological. An example is the creation of the foundation of a house with violations of reinforcement or installation of formwork. Mistakes also include choosing the wrong brand of concrete. Laying the foundation above the groundwater level is also considered a technological error.
Operational. Such mistakes are made already in the process of using the constructed structure. For example, an increase in the load on the foundation as a result of the creation of a second floor. Also a violation is an increase in humidity in basement or poor-quality installation of a drainage system near the house.
Structural. An example is the preparation of incorrect calculations during the design of a structure. Often the foundation begins to collapse prematurely due to the fact that geological studies were not carried out before construction began.

Important! In order to avoid encountering the problem described, before building a house, it is necessary to accurately calculate the load on the foundation.

Types of cracks

Cracks in the foundation of a wooden house, which can occur on the foundation, are divided into several types:

Hairy. Such cracks are hardly noticeable and have a thickness of no more than 3 mm. Their presence only indicates a change in the outer layer of the base. Such flaws can be corrected quite easily.
Horizontal. Such defects do not affect the integrity of the foundation.
Shrinkage cracks. Such defects arise when the rules for creating a foundation are violated.
Vertical. It is these cracks that are a sign that the foundation needs repairs. They often appear under the influence of groundwater on the base or due to soil heaving.

How to fix the problem

If you notice that the foundation of your home is cracked, you need to begin strengthening it as quickly as possible. Such work is carried out as follows:

first, using a jack, the sagging parts of the base are raised to the design level;
after this, holes are drilled, the diameter of which ranges from 20 to 40 cm;
the resulting void is filled liquid glass, cement laitance or hot bitumen.

This reduces the permeability of the soil, which will make the soil more stable. The described strengthening method can only be used when using special equipment, so for such work it is necessary to hire professional builders.

Strengthening the foundation of a stone house

The main task of repairing the foundation of a house is to stop the process of settlement of the structure. therefore, you cannot dig under the foundation without securing it. A strengthening method is often used, in which a reinforcing concrete belt is erected on all sides. Such work is carried out as follows:

A trench is dug along the strip base of the house, the width of which is approximately 45 cm. During such work, the base of the foundation must not be exposed.
After this, the foundation is cleaned of dirt and dust. In this case, all cracks must be expanded with a spatula.
Then the falling off parts of the old foundation are removed.
On next stage the concrete surface is treated with a primer. It is worth remembering that you need to choose deep penetration formulations.
After this, holes are drilled in the foundation. The distance between them should be about 60 cm.
Anchors are driven into the created holes, which are subsequently welded to the reinforcement frame. The diameter of the reinforcement should be approximately 12 mm.
On last stage The concrete mixture is poured into the created trench. To ensure that the concrete solution is evenly distributed throughout the trench, it is necessary to use a construction vibrator. This also helps to fill cracks in the old foundation. If this stage of work is neglected, voids may remain in the concrete, which will subsequently cause the destruction of the foundation.

Backfilling of soil occurs only after the concrete has completely hardened. If the cracks are not caused by subsidence or deformation of the foundation, they can be repaired with mortar and plastered.

It is worth remembering that if the work is carried out incorrectly, the foundation will quickly begin to collapse even with additional reinforcing structural elements.

Repair of the base of a wooden house

The cracked foundation of a wooden house can be strengthened quite simply, since similar designs can be lifted using a jack and installed on temporary supports. But it is worth remembering that if the lower logs are rotten, the structure cannot be raised.

If the crowns are unreliable, rotten areas are cut out of them, after which the house is raised. After this, you can restore the foundation using one of the common methods. Often, owners of country houses install a concrete bandage around the base. You can also dig under the base and fill concrete pillars. This will make the foundation resistant to significant loads.

It is worth remembering that before raising the house, it is necessary to dismantle part of the roof in the place where it connects to chimney. It is better to invite professional builders to carry out such work.

Reinforcement with piles

In some cases, it is not possible to increase the density of the soil under a building. In such a situation, it is necessary to strengthen the foundation with piles:

If the house is wooden, the entire structure is lifted onto temporary supports, after which the tops are tied together with a grillage. After this, the structure is lowered onto a new foundation.
In cases where it is necessary to strengthen the foundation without raising the house, “bulls” are used. They are piles that are driven obliquely from different sides of the corner. Beams are welded onto the heads of these elements, which will serve as support for the structure.

When using piles, it is worth remembering that their length must be sufficient so that they rest on solid ground.

Monolithic slab repair

Monolithic foundations are destroyed quite rarely, but when certain conditions it's possible. If a serious crack appears on such a base, it can only be replaced with a new slab. No method will help stop the destruction of a monolithic foundation if it is already beginning to deform.

Conclusion

If it is impossible to completely replace the foundation for some reason, the walls are strengthened and old sections of the slab are removed. In these places, concrete mortar is poured, which helps to temporarily maintain the integrity of the structure. can also be installed as supports concrete blocks or piles.

Construction of a foundation for a private house
How to cover the foundation of a house outside
Pile foundation with grillage
Strengthening the foundation of a private house

Strengthening the foundation of a private house is necessary in two cases:

the foundation or wall of the house has cracked;
The house will need to be reconstructed with an increase in its mass, for which the existing foundation is not designed.

The first case is obvious. If there is a crack in the foundation, it means something was done incorrectly, and the situation must be corrected urgently. And the second is not so critical, but requires minimal preliminary calculations.

But situations are different.

Just as cracks are different, so are their consequences.

In this case, there is nothing left to save, but such catastrophic consequences, as a rule, if this is not the result of a serious earthquake, are preceded by primary signals in the form of small, sometimes barely noticeable, foundation cracks.

There was a crack on the wall. How to react, do you need to immediately strengthen the foundation?

The formation of small cracks on the wall does not mean that you have problems with the foundation.

Often such cracks appear on houses made of gas silicate blocks or using other cellular concrete technologies and may be associated with a violation of their laying technology or even their production technology.

The material itself has a high moisture absorption, which leads to too active drying of the plaster and increased cracking.

These consequences can also be caused by excessive waterlogging of the blocks due to poor waterproofing.

And on other buildings, it is often not the wall that is cracking, but the finishing layer. Therefore, first of all, examine the base. And if everything is fine with it, continue monitoring until you are finally convinced that it is cracking. finishing or no symptoms of obvious foundation weakness will appear.

If this happens, we suggest the following algorithm of actions.

Detection of destruction processes

1. We split the crack by removing the plaster around it.

2. At certain intervals we install gypsum beacons 3 - 5 mm thick and observe their behavior.

3. If after 2-3 weeks of observation not a single beacon cracks, you can sleep peacefully, and in the intervals between sleep choose a way to fix the problem.

But at the same time, it is advisable to extend the observation period to several months, and even better to survive the off-season in order to exclude the cause caused by the seasonal rise of groundwater.

But, above all, about natural causes. Few people know, but anyone, even monolithic brick house shrinks within 1 - 5 years from the moment of construction, therefore plastering and installing windows and doors in it can be done after at least 1 year, or even more, which is often violated. Possible uneven shrinkage due to differences in formulation or ingredients masonry mortars, and the brick itself. This is where cracks can occur and the foundation has nothing to do with it.

If this is the reason, and you are convinced of this, do the same procedures with beacons with him. Perhaps this is a one-time minor subsidence due to the presence of small voids in the ground underneath, which stopped after a slight settlement of part of the base.

So, what to do if the cracks formed in the wall and foundation do not grow for a significant time?

Simple wall crack repair

If cracking has not increased and the cracks are small:

Remove small fragments from it and remove as much dust as possible, if possible using a vacuum cleaner.
Treat to maximum depth with a deep penetration primer.
Fill the crack with polymer or polymerized cement mortar, sold at hardware stores.

For more complicated ways, such as injection, it is better to invite specialists who have the appropriate equipment and devices.

If the crack in the foundation grows, look for the cause.

Causes of foundation destruction and ways to eliminate them

They can be both local (sometimes banal) and global.

If you have long horizontal cracks in the base, then the reason may not be in the foundation, but in the blind area that you connected to it, and which rises with the forces of frost heaving, transferring deformations to the outer part of the base.

It is clear that it will need to be redone by installing a damper tape, and the base will need to be repaired.

If the corner of your house is sagging and there is a water drainage pipe in this place, you can call yourself a bad word and start installing point drainage. In many cases this will stop the process.

If your foundation has cracked for no apparent reason, you should make holes in the ground at the crack site, as well as on the sagging corner, on both sides of it at a distance of about half a meter, to a depth slightly below the level of the foundation.

If water appears in the pits, you must immediately take care of the device drainage system, otherwise no amount of strengthening of the foundation will save you. See how to do this here.

The foundation may crack if there are so-called foundations underneath it. voids in the ground, unnoticed during construction, because few people carry out serious geodetic research when constructing individual housing. This can also happen due to incorrect calculation of loads or violation of the technology of its design.

In these cases, it needs to be strengthened.

How to strengthen the foundation with your own hands

How to strengthen the foundation if there is a crack in the wall? Let’s make a reservation right away, we will describe methods that you can use yourself, without the involvement of specialized organizations, both to strengthen the foundation of a brick house, and to strengthen the foundation of an old one wooden structure. If none of them suits you, contact the professionals.

Let's look at the methods.

1. Trimming the base of the house.

It is used if the foundation has cracked in many places or before reconstructing a house with an increase in the load on its foundation.

At the same time, it is rarely possible to tie the foundation tape on both sides. The exception is strip foundations under wooden or frame houses, which can be lifted entirely evenly on jacks.

In other cases, the foundation is tied from the outside. For this:

they dig a trench along the foundation along the perimeter of the building to a depth below its location by 150 - 300 mm, and if possible, then under it by 1/3 of its width;
make a drainage cushion from a layer of sand (up to 100 mm) and crushed stone (up to 100 mm);
perform spatial piping from reinforcement 10 - 12 mm, connecting it to the existing foundation by drilling holes in it and hammering pieces of reinforcement;
External formwork is installed and concrete is poured with a grade of at least M200.

A variant of this strapping in the video:

2. Strengthening the foundation with a double-sided bench.

This method is also good when it is possible to lift the entire building.

Or it needs to be done in sections, gradually tearing off the foundation strip so that there remains constant support on the existing foundation.

This type of amplification can be done in two ways:

with gating of the existing foundation and insertion of an unloading beam into the groove;
placing a beam under the foundation strip.

In any case, its basis is a banquet of monolithic reinforced concrete, brought under the existing foundation strip, and several support and unloading beams, which are subsequently concreted outside along with the banquet.

3. Strengthening the foundation with screw piles.

For this:

tear off a section of the foundation that needs to be strengthened;
Screw piles are screwed under it at an angle;
concrete is placed both around the piles and under the foundation.

4. Strengthening the foundation with a reinforced concrete pad.

Most often, a sagging corner of a house is strengthened in this way, although it is also possible to eliminate the cause of local subsidence of a section of the foundation, formed as a result of water supply or sewerage leaks that were not detected in time.

Work order:

dig the foundation on both sides of the corner at least a meter, with a distance of half a meter from it and a depth of half a meter under it;
arrange a drainage pad as described above;
make a spatial frame from reinforcement of at least 10 - 14 mm with a connection to the existing foundation by drilling it;
concreted to a height just below ground level.

And here is the video. It is somewhat long, but it is informative, and most importantly: everything was done without errors.

Repairing wall cracks after foundation repairs

After strengthening the foundation or lining the base, the crack in the wall must be repaired. If it is small, you can use the method described above, as for sealing cracks in the foundation. And if it is too large, then:

fill the gap with polymerized cement-sand mortar, you can tighten it with temporary (or permanent) ties, filling the possible gap above the foundation with the same solution;

Having drilled the wall across the crack in several places, install hidden metal ties with pins deep into entire sections of the wall and seal it with the same polymer-cement-sand mortar.

Of course, it is better to eliminate the consequences of such repairs by combining them with finishing, or even insulation, of the facade of the house.

Dear readers, if you have any questions, please ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you 😉

Sometimes cracks form in the foundation of a house. And building owners quite reasonably begin to wonder what to do in such a situation. Not in all cases, a burst foundation negatively affects the integrity of the building. But in most situations, it will not be superfluous to repair it. Even if the cracks are still very small, they are hairline.

What are the consequences of cracks in the foundation?

If the foundation of your home is cracked for any reason, it is recommended to repair the crack immediately. After all, if you do not eliminate the problem at the stage of its occurrence, the consequences can be the most undesirable. IN best case scenario Windows and doors will begin to jam, and in the worst case, the crack will spread to the wall of the building, and the latter will collapse in the shortest possible time.

To avoid problems, the first thing to do is determine the type of crack. To do this, the crack should be thoroughly cleaned of accumulated dirt and dust and rinsed with water. After this, you need to prepare a gypsum beacon. It is marked with the date when the foundation cracked (or when it was first noticed). The lighthouse is installed in the crack and observation begins. The behavior of the problem area of the foundation should be observed for a sufficient period of time. long period time. If the beacon remains intact as a result, it means that the foundation is not cracked all the way through and the crack does not pose a great danger. For purely aesthetic reasons, it can be sealed with cement mortar and the problem forgotten.

The beacon will also help to monitor whether the location of the foundation rupture is increasing. If this happens, the foundation is cracked through and through, and something needs to be done immediately.

Most often, the foundation of a house begins to crack in winter or spring period s of time. So, if the foundation of a house is installed incorrectly, in winter it will inevitably begin to rise unevenly, and in the spring it will also settle unevenly. For some period of time, the structure will successfully withstand such overloads, but after a few years a vertical or horizontal crack will certainly appear.

Causes of cracking of the base

If the foundation of a brick or wooden house has cracked, you should figure out why this happened. There can be many prerequisites for cracking of the base:

Technological reasons

If a foundation bursts due to a technical reason, it is highly likely that it was poured incorrectly during the laying process. Other reasons for the appearance of cracks may be incorrectly installed formwork, deep freezing of concrete in winter, insufficient amount of reinforcement used, and much more.

Operational reasons

If the foundation suddenly cracked due to operational reasons, most likely this happened due to the superstructure of the building. But in some cases, the bursting of the foundation vault is due to the lack of a drainage system around the house and an increase in the level of humidity in the basement.

Structural reasons

How to strengthen the foundation of a building

If you don’t know how to strengthen the foundation of a building and what to do to prevent even hairline cracks from appearing on it, some useful tips are unlikely to be superfluous.

Often, to strengthen the foundation of a house, an injection method is used using synthetic resin or ordinary cement.

To implement this method, it is necessary to drill a hole in the body of the foundation, the diameter of which is about 30 mm and maintain a distance of approximately 0.5 m. The depth of the hole should be selected depending on the size of the protective layer. An injector is immersed into the resulting wells and the space is filled with a solution under pressure. If there is a need to identify weak-bearing soils under the foundation of a house, it is additionally necessary to cement the soil under the foundation.

Repairing gaps in pile foundations

Strengthening pile foundations and preventing their cracking is often done by converting from a pile foundation to a strip foundation. To carry out such an operation, concrete lintels are installed. In some cases, such jumpers must be made to the full height of the base of the building. This makes it possible to arrange a basement without unnecessary difficulties in the foreseeable future.

Repairing gaps in strip bases

If the strip foundation is cracked, in order to repair it, you will need to use a whole range of restoration methods. In this case, it will not be enough to seal the cracked area with cement mortar, since this step will not solve the problem. It would be more expedient to strengthen the foundation with bored-type piles, the soil with a drainage system and arrangement of a heat-insulating blind area.

Piles, installed under the base of the house in the form of a support, reliably keep the foundation strip from subsidence. As for drainage, if everything is done correctly, it will help increase the depth of soil freezing and thereby prevent the foundation from sagging over time.

Cracking can also be avoided by screeding the strip masonry. This technology uses the introduction directly into the body of the base of two special crutches, which are connected to each other by means of a clamp. This design works both as a screed and as a shock-absorbing element. The crack itself can be sealed with concrete mortar or reinforced with epoxy resin.

After the blind area, support or screed has been installed, it is necessary to use a marker (flag) that will allow you to record the condition of the cracked area. To do this, you will need to attach a certain amount along the edges of the fault. epoxy resin, on which an ordinary wire is pulled. If, when the seasons change, the thread does not break and the foundation of the house does not continue to sag, then the destructive process has been successfully prevented.

Repairing a slab break

If you need to repair a gap slab foundation, you should be prepared for the fact that the work ahead is dreary. The only good thing is that this will only have to be done in exceptional cases, since slabs crack extremely rarely. But if a slab rupture does occur, a complete or partial replacement of the base will be required.

Many years of practice clearly demonstrates the fact that it is not possible to stop the destruction of the slab. Therefore, you will have to dig under the slab, strengthen it in those places where the split occurred, remove damaged parts and re-fill the damaged area and install pile or block supports.

Unfortunately, even such manipulations cannot provide a 100% guarantee that the slab will not continue to collapse. Therefore, in some cases it may be necessary to rebuild the house from scratch.

Thus, it turns out that it is much easier to avoid the occurrence of foundation breaks than to deal with them.

Very often, home owners are faced with cracks on the walls, some spread like cobwebs across the putty, but there are also cracks that tear apart the building. Knowing the true reasons for their appearance, you can stop their growth, and then begin repairing and decorating the house.

Errors during construction leading to cracks in the house

Old private houses were built by owners who used the help of family and friends. Sometimes they didn’t even have a specific plan, so houses were built without calculations and thoughtlessly built out extensions of individual rooms. There was also a lack of information on how to properly make a foundation or reinforce concrete.

Often, some believed that the more iron in the foundation, the better. Such a base was reinforced with anything, including pieces of tin and any scrap metal. The second common option for building a foundation that leads to the appearance of cracks is the complete absence of reinforcement. The foundation of the house was laid out of brick or wild stone, without taking into account the characteristics of the soil on which it was built.

All this led to the fact that many houses began to sink over time, the foundations cracked, and the extensions moved away from each other, forming quite large and dangerous cracks. Some of them appear, but over time they stop growing and do not require strengthening the foundation. To decide on a method for correcting a defect, you must first find out whether the crack threatens to cause the wall to collapse or not, and then establish the cause of the crack.

How to determine the type of crack

Cracks can be superficial, in which only the plaster layer cracks, or through, passing through the entire thickness of the wall. To determine the type of damage, it is necessary to determine whether the crack continues to grow or whether it has already established itself and does not change in size.

This is determined using glass beacons. A long narrow strip is cut out of thin glass, and its ends are fixed with plaster on both sides of the crack. The center portion should remain clean and sit on top of the crack. It is better to mix the gypsum thicker to make it easier to glue the glass. Its walls are so smooth that the ends of the glass lighthouse constantly slide off, so you need to hold it with your hands for a few seconds until the plaster hardens completely.

Signs of determining the depth of cracks:

surface (retractable cosmetic repairs) - after a month the glass remains intact. Such a crack has already stopped and is not growing;
destroying the house (requiring major repairs) - the glass burst within a month. The discrepancy continues and it is necessary to look for the causes of this process and urgently eliminate them.

Most common cause The appearance of such cracks is a violation of the integrity of the foundation and soil subsidence. Destructions occur when the soil is loose or the foundation area is small and not designed to support the weight of the walls. Sometimes the base gets washed away groundwater. If the strength and integrity of the foundation is not restored and further subsidence is not excluded, it will be impossible to repair the cracked wall. No matter how many times it is plastered and no matter how it is strengthened, the crack will appear again.

We remove cracks in the house that can destroy it

You can strengthen the foundation in different ways, but the most reliable way is to make it solid again using proper reinforcement and increasing the area of support on the ground. To achieve this, you need to dig a trench close to the foundation, about one and a half meters long and 40-50 cm wide. The depth should be about 40 cm below the foundation, but not less than to the freezing point.

Then we remove the soil from under the foundation to the level of the bottom of the trench. This will allow the concrete to flow under the old foundation and almost double its area, while reducing the load on the ground by the same amount.

We reinforce this space with reinforcement rods no less than 14 mm thick, laying them horizontally along the foundation and sticking the ends into both sides of the trench at least 20 cm. There should be six or more such rods. Two rods at the very bottom, two in the middle and two at the top. This arrangement of reinforcement in the foundation makes it work not by bending, but by breaking, which is ten times more effective.

We drill holes in the foundation to drive pieces of reinforcement into them and weld them with the previously laid rods. Then we fill this trench with concrete, making sure that the solution well fills the void under the foundation. Ideally, it is recommended to use a vibrator for this, but if this is not possible, you should vibrate the concrete well manually using a long rod.

Several such trenches need to be made under the wall, the number is determined by the distance. The gap between the trenches should be about two meters. After the concrete has set (two weeks are usually enough for this), you can start digging the same trenches between the resulting new foundation blocks.

By digging the following trenches, you will free the ends of the reinforcement rods (which were previously driven 20 cm into the ground) and will be able to connect individual blocks of the new foundation together into a single reinforcement belt using welding and two-meter pieces of rods.

After filling all the trenches with concrete, you will get a strong new foundation with an increased area of support on the ground and tightly connected to the old foundation. Now you can safely begin to repair the crack itself, since the new reinforced foundation will not allow the wall to diverge anymore.

To repair a crack, first of all you need to clean its edges from those parts of the wall and plaster that are barely holding on. Then it needs to be filled with some kind of solution, the choice of which depends on the width of the crack and the building material from which the wall is made.

If the size of the crack is insignificant, the easiest way is to fill it with polyurethane foam, followed by plaster and putty. When the crack is large, the hole is filled with the material from which the damaged wall is made, followed by further finishing.

The most difficult repair is a crack on a wall that is made of finishing bricks. Before laying, broken bricks are knocked out, and new ones are put in their place, matching the pattern of the masonry.

Cosmetic repair of cracks on walls

If the glass beacon shows that the crack is no longer spreading, there is no need for such complex repairs. It is enough to simply make a cosmetic one.

To do this, the crack must be processed, removing all the pieces that do not hold well, and filling it, as described above. When the hole is closed, the surface is plastered and puttied. In this case, it is recommended to use construction mesh for plaster.

The mesh needs to be glued onto the crack so that its edges extend ten centimeters beyond the sides of the crack, and only then plaster this place. The mesh will create additional reinforcement and prevent the appearance of new microcracks from shrinkage of the material.

Also, when renovating a house, you sometimes have to deal with microcracks that appear on normal and well-reinforced walls due to thermal expansion. This usually happens due to the fact that no reinforcing mesh was used when putting them. It is best to completely re-plaster such walls and reinforce them with mesh. This will guarantee that microcracks will not appear in the future. But if this is not possible at the moment, elastic putty mixtures can be used to repair such defects.

Do not try to fill large cracks with polyurethane foam or other materials, as this will accelerate its expansion. Through cracks are the most dangerous and their strong divergence leads to the collapse of floor slabs. This method can only be used temporarily to survive the cold season, during which major repairs are difficult to make.