How To Fix a Concrete Foundation Crack | This Old House
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ม.ค. 2020
- Tommy and Kevin watch Hugo Provetti repair a crack in concrete with a foundation epoxy.
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How To Fix a Concrete Foundation Crack | This Old House
/ thisoldhouse - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I've been watching this old house since I was six years old. I know this show is the reason I can pretty much fix any issue I have in my house. Currently, I am fixing a crack in my foundation and afterward, I am going to lay LVP in the entire house. At the same time, I will be installing new toilets in our bathrooms. This is all thanks to This Old House.
I Hope you see my message..I have to Fix Cracks in my Foundation..Would you let me know what you used to Seal up the Cracks ?? Thank You..
Me too …. Love it !❤❤
@@TheDogGoesWoof69😂
Can you be so kind to tell me what type of material they use and where can I find this???
Omg me too! Why was I watching this so young?! And old Bob Vila too. 😂
I had to read the SKU number off the box in the video, the product is Sikadur Crack Weld Injection Kit.
I am a structural engineer and this is an excellent video of crack injection. However one of the most important things when fixing concrete cracks is to determine if the cause of the crack is still active. Generally cracks can be classified as active (cause(s) still present) or inactive (cause is no longer present). The video mentions fixing outside drainage which can be the cause but it is hard to know for certain without monitoring the crack for some period of time. Of course crack monitoring over time is not always possible in every situation.
In this particular video it looks like an exterior stud wall is sitting on the foundation and there is no floor at the foundation level. Typically in residential construction there is a floor at the top of the foundation which serves to support the top of the wall. If you happen to have a similar situation then in my opinion you have more of a retaining wall than a basement wall and the cause of a crack and repairs may be different.
Is this something you can use a cold chisel in place of the saw? I'm trying to do it myself and save money. I also probably wouldn't use the saw much.
@@ryanschaffer88 there are lots of different products available so I suggest trying to find one where the manufacturer allows chisel method as an approved process.
Larry Deem Thank you. What material would you recommend for the “dam” to hold the epoxy in?
I am not sure but usually technical support group at the manufacturers are very helpful with this type of question.
Indeed the foundation is functioning as a retaining wall, without a footing. I’m surprised I’d didn’t fail more catastrophically. My company pours 500 foundations a year. 90% of the plans we see on look out and walk out foundations, don’t treat the foundation as a retaining wall. We are in Northern Illinois with heavy soils and severe winters, I’m surprised we don’t see more failures.
As a professional basement waterproofing contractor for over 20 years there are some misconceptions in this video. The high PSI of the epoxy isn't a good thing like noted in the video. Where we are located (Central Massachusetts) we have a pretty horrendous freeze thaw cycle and a seismic load. Meaning the foundation moves, the footing moves, and the ground below the foundation moves. All at slightly different rates. Epoxy dries harder than concrete, so it ends up cracking when the two sides of the foundation move. This is why most injections come with a 5-10 year warranty. There is also the polyurethane approach if you have active water coming into the foundation, those systems usually last between 7-10 years. If at all possible you want to seal it from the outside, with a patch that remains pliable and moves with the foundation. We dig the cracks up by hand directly down to the footing and seal them in a day with a lifetime warranty. The only time we inject is when there is something on the outside (precast steps, deck, stamped concrete). Sika is a great company and they make really good sealants but its asking a lot of epoxy to seal a foundation correctly. When we dig up foundations that have been injected they always have bug holes and pools of material on the outside, so its just a matter of time before they leak again.
Will a can of Flex Seal waterproof effectively? They’re $100 per gallon.
@@HarnessAHealthyLife I’ve used flex seal to waterproof a crack. It’s temporary. Not treating the cause of the crack, just the symptoms
What do you use from Sika when you provide the lifetime warranty? That's a pretty ballsy move using urethane.
Thanks Robert this is very helpful.
What do you use to seal when you dig the foundation and seal from the outside ?
That's what I'm hoping to do
The inside dam is only a temporary solution. Go outside, dig to the footing, grind out the cracks on an angle to make an inside V, not an outside V, meaning the crack is the small part and the inside of the wall is the big part. Pressure wash everything, sump the water out of the hole, and let it dry. Liberally apply hydraulic cement making sure to get it deep into the crevice. Slop non-drying roof tar top to bottom, left to right, going about a foot past the crack at each end. Apply a layer or ashphalt based roll roofing to the entire patch. Repeat the roof tar and roofing material one more time. Protect the area from impact when refilling the hole with 1/2" thick styrofoam insulation. Backfill the soil into the hole, tamping it down every 12" or so. The leak is permanently fixed at that point, even if the foundation shifts another 3/8" over next 100 years. Fixing leaks from the inside only works until things shift a tiny bit. It doesn't matter that it's denser than concrete. Once it loses grab on the crack you're screwed once again. Digging sucks but it makes the fix permanent.
Does anyone else find this therapeutic as well as informative?
I’m always entertained watching these guys. Great videos....the best !
I just did this a two weeks ago. As a home owner it was easy enough for a weekend warrior to do. Cleanup wasn't bad and the fix is amazing. Best foundation repair that can be had for $100 - $150. Only wish TOH had covered it sooner as finding out about it wasn't so easy.
David Hettinger what material did you use?
@@lionheart93 The product I used was Simpson Strong Tie 9oz CRACK-PAC FLEX H2O KIT W/ACCESORIES (CPFH09KT) www.amazon.com/dp/B00QKZEWW6/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_W4LdEb3RATPNZ
Since the crack was vertical and not horizontal it wasn't structural. Due to that I went with this flex foam kit as it would do the job and be able to expand and contract as need be. If it was structural the full epoxy would be a better choice.
That said I've had it in for only two weeks but we no longer have water seepage and the kit did push all the way through. If you are thinking of doing this just know that the foam is designed to expand in order to fill the crack. My crack was from a below ground window corner down to our basement floor (about five feet). The foam did push all the way up into the window casement and out the top almost two and a half feet beyond my last injection point. Cleanup isn't bad however, so a little scraping and grinding and it looks great!
David, I'm having the same issue in our basement. Rain is coming through a vertical crack. Did you do anything to your outside wall...like dig down to water proof? Or is the epoxy strong enough just placing on the inside wall of the basement?
SusieQ Gallagher If you dig from outside and use the epoxy injection kit and then attach a water proof membrane to the concrete (from the footing up all the way to the vertical crack) it would be the best solution HOWEVER it is very costly and you will need a permit to dig. Most people just try to attack the crack from the inside because the ease of access and low cost. I will be attempting the fix our crack from the outside in the summer as we have a very small leak even after fixing the inside wall with the epoxy injection kit
@@ayoubfarid1663 Thank you for your reply. I'm so tired of heavy rains and the basement filling up with water. I will try this!
That was an excellent demonstration.
I've had to do this several times on my house as well, over 100 years old, no footing. In my case it isn't drainage related. I have a couple of techniques I developed. At or below grade, I excavate and face drill into the block on either side of the crack for rebar pins. They are left protruding, and then I use stainless wire to stitch the crack and preload the rebar pins. I make a form and fill it with high strength grout to a fluid consistency. This encases everything, including the rebar stickout and the block core. For above grade, I use stainless stitch ties in the grout lines with epoxy. Again, it is sealed, and then I core fill the block the rest of the way. Some backfill, and some stucco, and you don't know it's there. Plus, unlike epoxy which can bond to dirt and dust, this is a mechanical repair. Very expensive and very time consuming, but that's my habit of overdoing things. My goal was use to use products locally available.
For cracks at a corner, you can pin the rebar in from the side, all the way to do the top, which makes a really nice fix.
I didn't know this incredibly effective fix was available. Great demonstration.
Live these guys. Along with Bob and Norm, I feel like they helped raise me.
Man i love this show!!!
Thanks for the great tips...
I never knew i love doing these works until I saw this. this is my hobby now.
Very informative!
Sounds good, will look into this.
Guarantee Hugo only has to ask for payment once when the job’s done.
They have an envelope of cash ready before he even starts.
Why’s that? Are you implying he’s intimidating? He might be a big boy but the human body is susceptible in many places regardless of size.
@@lh98 it's a joke, right
I really liked this,, I have several cracks in a solid porded foundation wall as weel as a leak around mu main Copper water supply line. The only leaks that is troublesome in the house is the leak around water supply. Had a plumbing try and fix it from the outside and they said it would never leak but it did anyway. Had a foundation leak company come take a look and they wanted tear up our entire basement around the foundation wall on the inside of the house and just deal with the water as it came in and not prevent it from coming in the first place. We finally just added our knew roof, we have new properly sized gutters coming next, they are 6", we have 4" now, and we will be able to keep the water from running down the face of the fondation and the gutters from getting clogged. This will be a perfect solution to seal up the cracks on the inside of the house for the water line and the garage. Thank you for showing this
Wow I learned so much thanks
Pretty smart repair!
Nice to see a foundation repaired the right way! Looks great and should last too
Thank you!
Great job 👍
Excellent
So wholesome
They did this video 5 years ago. Hugo outdid tommy!!!!
Before my Father sold his 20 year old home, he had about a 6' crack in the poured concrete wall that leaked water when it rained. We found a local company that chipped away at the crack and filled it with epoxy (looked like expanding foam) for only $250. The strange thing was, they drilled into the crack diagonally, and placed maybe 8 or 9 of these metal fittings in to the wall that looked identical to grease fittings, as in, they were one way check valves. Then they covered the crack with some other type of sealant or epoxy that was somewhat of a tan or beige color.
The repair also came with a 10 year transferable warranty. Not bad for only $250, and certainly solid peace of mind for the new buyers!
Blaine Bugaski, $250? That’s a dam good deal. 👍
@@kalijasin Yes it was. If you were local to Northwest Indiana I would refer you to this company!
@@Guillotines_For_Globalists are they near Merrillville?
@@bryanthomas544 They would most certainly work in Merrillville I am certain.
@Dirty Burger So what does that come out to in our American Dollars, $22,069? :D
Can someone list these exact products?
I did the exact same thing to a house I had. When I did it , the epoxy pushed all the way to the outside wall. Still worked liked a charm. It never dripped another drop
What product did you use?
Products you used?
What these two gentlemen just said ^
He didn't do jack sh..
Good Stuff
We used a system that drilled holes off to the side, similar to horizontal drilling in the oil industry. They used pressure to inject there product.
Yeah! I don’t have concrete cracks but it’s awesome to see them fixed! Epoxy is stronger than concrete and if the wall breaks again it could be right beside the epoxy fix. Great demo!
Wow that stuff is strong
Cool!
For anyone who’s interested I’ve replaced many dozens of these epoxy repairs that often lasted only a few months. Epoxy repairs are completely inflexible so they frequently fail as soon as the weather changes. I did hundreds of flexible foundation crack repairs and replacements over a period of about 2 years using a urethane system without a single failure.
Interesting. Can you please explain how the urethane system works?
@@mredldean1: The product is SicaFlex 1A primarily designed as a flexible waterproof sealant for concrete joints, curtain wall construction panels and around doors/windows in ICI construction. You can buy it in standard caulking tubes or large ‘sausages’ which require a special gun. If you’re doing a single crack at home the standard tubes are fine, otherwise you’ll need the sausages and special applicator gun. IT’S NOT A URETHANE INJECTION SYSTEM so you don’t have to worry about blowing out the foundation. It’s simply applied into the chiseled-out crack and feathered out several inches either side. Somewhat messy to work with but 100% impermeable after cure. Let me know if you need more info.
Thanks for the video. Is the epoxy the older technology compared to FlexiSpan and polyurethane
i luv houses
It's a cool video. But as a homeowner I would like to know if water was coming in through it and if this stopped it from further happening. Also, I would like to know what type of contractor to call to fix this. Also like to know if it's possible for me to do this myself? If so, what do I buy and more details would help. There are still some of us who would like to do it ourselves...if we are shown how to do it. Thanks guys!
Sweet Hilti grinder.
There's 2 types of concrete: concrete that cracked and concrete that will crack.
That’s just a fact 😂
And type 3, Roman concrete that lasts thousands of years
Thx for sharing, what's the name of the products?
THE GUY IN GREY LOOKS LIKE YOU COULD TEAR DOWN THE WALL WITH ONE HAND......LOL
Kevin is allowed to turn the heater on!
DUH
America is a great country....let's stay together folks and don't let anything divide us
I thought this was gonna be a job my husband and I could do, lol. Basically, call a professional. I love This Old House. I've learned so many things from you all. You are appreciated.
What is the product used to fix these cracks? Would have been nice if they would have included the product name for thos eof us interested in using it.
Lol at the guy working while they talking.
Union bricklayers on the job 👌🏻
What's the Sika cartridge material you use to seal the front face of the crack please (troweled on the front face)?
Would be interesting to see them epoxy 2 big concrete blocks together and then pick it up with an excavator on one side, and smack it around a bit. Then the strength will be truly visible.
b8e71fcbe2e195c67d8d16734013d20f how about they epoxy someone’s butt cheeks together.
Search for "publicidad poxipol argentina"..😉
Rediscover Film Not mine please 😬
I’m getting a human Centipede vibe from this comment section.
Let me uninteresting it for you. The concrete will break, the epoxy will hold itself fine. The question is application. Bad adhesion between epoxy and concrete could be a problem if someone applies without properly preparing the concrete.
Interesting
I just completed a floor to "ceiling" foundation crack repair via this method yesterday. It's a simple task using the same method and results are the same but mine was a bit messier because the epoxy which adhered the ports and covered the crack was two part manual mix. Smelled horrible but bonded like steel. In order to assure the holes wouldn't be blocked I took a long, thin screwdriver and used that as a guide. The injection went pretty smooth at about 3 minutes to appear in the next port. I was amazed that the repair took both tubes but that also gave me a bit of confidence that the entire crack was sealed through & through. I also took care of a drainage issue that the previous owners neglected over that past 20 years. This type of repair is easily completed by a home owner. Just be sure to follow the instructions.
Good work, I know epoxy what you mentioned to cover the crack but what is the name of injected material you injected in crack which hose 9000 psi?
Thank you
Troy Mclure had an excellent video on this same topic.
Where can I purchase this kit and the epoxy?
Epoxy injection is the older technology used for concrete foundation crack injections. The newer kind is a polyurethane injection, which is exponentially more flexible for the expanding and contracting over the season changes. It is slightly more expensive, but not by much. You're looking at maybe $40 more per 10 linear ft of crack.
Can you send me a link of where I can buy the polyurethane injection... please jesus?
@@DavidDouglasZach here is the company. www.radonseal.com/ . select their Urethane product
You sir are100% correct,I am currently working in the wet basement trade,have for 5 years,..epoxy is a temporary fix,after a few seasons the basement shifts enough to allow water through again,we use a polyurethane 2 part product that has 10 times expansion that acts as a rubber seal,..lifetime warranty..any product that doesn't flex is bogus!
@@jgg204 Thanks dude!! I think this is the solution I am looking for. Now I need to find how to assess the water problem on the outside. Not sure if I can DIY that one...
@@Archaides honestly i've found that just injecting the crack on the inside and then re-grading the outside....it has solved 100% of my basement water intrusion problems at my 3 homes
i have a gunite hot tub that has cracked about 10 inches below the top of the circular pour. the crack is just at the height of the spillway completely around the tub all the way through to the outer side wall. i have searched and searched and am unable to find any type of repair on the internet. i was wondering if this system would work to repair and seal the leaking crack right on the waterline. the crack leaks roughly 50 gallons a day and is behind the tile. i was thinking to use this system, cover with the paintable water proofing material, then retile and grout, then texture and repaint the outer wall.
Where can this product be purchased? Tnx
What if the crack goes , visibly all the way through? Do you port and put the first calk on the outside as well, or just the first calk or something else?
The crack looks a little wider at the top than the bottom, which leads me to think that the foundation has settled on the left or the right or both. They also said it doesn't have a footing.
Sure? 0:03 I don't see it.. Looks pretty even. Extremely unlikely there is any up down movement there. This wall moved in, not dropped. The crack would have been wider at the bottom if either side of the wall dropped below the other.
My basement has a crack that looks just like what you described, wider at the top, about 1/4" and hairline toward the bottom. The house is 3 years old now and I was thinking about doing a DIY epoxy carbon treatment.. do you suggest something else August?
after the repair. what needs to be done next? does the house need to be lifted? new floor joists?
Interesting...
i need to buy this epoxy kit. Where do i get one ?
Is there do it yourself type stuff for smaller cracks?
Looks good, BUt Im concerned with the product coming out the back side or outside wall. Wouldn't the epoxy just push through to the outside ? Or would the dirt hold it ? I dont want to dig up my driveway and patio. Thanks for any help
What would you recommend to fix a vertical crack on a concrete column that’s holding up a basketball net?
Where can i find this repair kit?
thats cool'
Would you let me know what you used to seal the cracks my foundation is terrible. Thanks
Interesting, I noticed they didn't mention the cost and other types of methods that could be used.
anyone know where one can buy this?
Was there a video on the drainage?
Where can I buy that at
This stuff works well. I used it and it stopped the water coming into the house. Been about 2 years now and still holding
@Chuck Finley no just the inside
Do you have the name of the product and where we can purchase?
@@Davis5fam no I purchased mine on amazon
Can I have the product names? Thanks!
What it this stuff called and how do I find it ?
Do you need to do anything differently for the exterior hairline crack?
Great video! My foundation is made of cinder blocks. So if I have a crack in my foundation and inject it with epoxy, should I worry about all of the epoxy going into the large hollow spaces of the cinder blocks?
Not an expert but ya it would go into the giant voids unless it was filled with concrete
Is there a supplylist somewhere? what the things are called the using? What kind of epoxy And what are those little discs called?
Could you put a link to the products used? I sure need a fix like that. Thanks
Probably won’t post a list. It cost like $200 for the products but they most likely charge about $3,000.
The color of the containers look like Sika brand of products.
I used this one and it worked out just fine.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00QKZEWW6/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_W4LdEb3RATPNZ%C2%A0
$30 at Home Depot. I have not used the kit, but Dri-Core is a good company.
Hi I have a cracked foundation can you please tell me what is the name of the epoxy that was used on this show
What is the name of the epoxy being used if anyone knows by chance, or is there one just az good. Thanks
Does this work for stair step cracks in cylinder block walls?
Could someone list the materials used? I'm buying a house and it has foundation cracks and to keep costs low I think its something I could take on
I would not do this I've worked in construction for 15 years and none of these easy fast tricks work. The water pushes from the outside pushing out anything put in from the inside. Best way to fix foundation cracks is to apply foundation sealant from the outside. Dig out to the slab of the foundation and roll the black foundation sealant 3" over the level of dirt. Then apply the a waterproof membrane made of plastic over the wall and add a French drain to the bottom leading away from the house. Then just fill in the hole. Expensive but life proof you will never have to deal with it again and will increase the value of the house.
@@warrenwallace2 - of course you're right that the water pushing from outside must be fixed before doing anything, however at 0:25 they say water caused the problem and they fixed that. I guess you're saying filling the crack with epoxy that is 9 times stronger than concrete adds no real value if the outside water problem is fixed, presumably because the crack won't grow since there is little or no force anymore. So would you just fill the crack with concrete for cosmetic reasons only, not for strength, or even leave it cracked since nobody will go under the house anyway?
So has anyone listed the materials that were used
That red and yellow sure does look like Sika.
Is this available for diy?
💥 I’ve learned all throughout life… When you plug a leak in a dam you do it from the side where the water is pushing from. In this case you would plug it from the outside. This way will just cause the foundation to fill up and hold the water in it.
Pretty sure they said theyd go out and do the same thing outside. Or at least i believe thats what youre supposed to do
How do we know what materials he is using?
What product did you use.
Epoxy is only a bandaid. Stuff will crack and blow out as the wall keeps moving
Agreed. Although, it would be useful to employ the "bandaid" if you're getting ready to sell your house and you don't want the potential buyer to be deterred by a crack in the foundation wall.
@@ryanbailey8079 I worked in the foundation repair industry and a lot of those epoxy jobs we had to tear out because home owners were having melt downs 6 months after they bought the house.
thebearclaw0 good to know. what would have been a permanent fix to the issue described in the video?
NewProvidenceUF - Helical foundation pin/ post
@@NewProvidenceUF I would suggest digging the wall out. Then water proofing with tar then with an outside wall liner. Shooting out and anchor in the yard to stabilize it. Unless you want to move the wall back which is another beast. That involves lifting that section of the house off the wall Then pulling the anchor tight to move the wall back to original position. Then I would run a bead of Nexus pro in the crack on the inside just for added security against water. If you got water inside then you would need to add a wall liner and then run a discharge line to the sump pump.
What is this product called?
What product did they use.
What is this product called
I would like to know the name of the inserts being used, the name and brand of the product being use as well as the name of the tube/hose being used to inject the product. Also, is it just a regular caulking gun being used? Thanks
What’s the name of the product you used on the wall?
Can this be done to the outside of a foundation??
This seems so different then the drilling in on a v to make sure you get the inside and outside. Is this better or worse then that method? The one I had done in my basement he cleaned out the crack and used a mini jack hammer to make a V then drilled holes in an x across the hole so that the hole he drilled intersects the crack half way through the hole. he then put adapters in these holes with a locking piece and a ball-bearing on them so it could only flow one direction then injected the crack with acid to clean out the entire crack of all debri out of the whole crack. then he rinsed the entire crack using the same nipples ill call them.. then he injected the resin.. this way the resin was all the way through my wall and the crack as he sealed the whole crack before injecting. This method looks like it only gets the surface of the crack because it can ozze up and does not go further in the crack...
It's strong, but will it hold it in place?
How can I do this without a kit????? I see that these polyurethane foam injection repair kits are expensive! I also see that I can buy packages of the injection ports separate online. Does anyone know if I can just use the ports, some spray cans of foam, and some hydraulic cement instead of the epoxy paste to do this a lot more cheaply? My concern is that spray foam will not have the necessary injection pressure to fill small cracks that a caulk tube of foam would have when injected with a caulk gun would have. And I can't find anywhere to buy polyurethane foam in a caulk tube separately. Please help!
If the crack goes all the way through to the exterior should we do the same process outside?
I like how Tommy if acting like he doesn't know how to fix that
This made me laugh harder than it should’ve.