 | Jim Price
is President and Owner of McLaughlin Construction, Inc. The McLaughlin Family's construction ties in Wichita goes back to the late 1800's, when his Great-Great Grandfather Joseph built the original Douglas Street Bridge. His son, 'Grandpa Mac', built many of the buildings at Wichita's aircraft plants during World War II. Now, several generations later, McLaughlin Construction still handles all types of residential and commercial construction. You may contact Jim at (316) 640-9775. |
Home Improvement
2004-06-01 12:04:00
Repairing foundation cracks
: Can you tell me how we would repair large cracks in the foundation around all four corners. We don't know how far under the ground the crack goes. Some are on the top of the ground.
ANSWER: If you have leaks, the repairs will need to be made on the outside and inside. If the footing has settled, or is cracked in places, it may need to be repaired, too. For these problems you would need to remove the dirt around the house where the cracks are. Make a V-shaped groove in the crack. Next you would use a two-part concrete epoxy. You can find it at a concrete speciality store. It will come with an injector. Use it to inject the epoxy in the groove you made, every 12 to 16 inches. Since you have disturbed the barrier that is against the wall of the basement, you will need to re-coat it. Finally, fill the area half way with sand,then dirt. Be sure not to pack the soil. Let it settle naturally. If the wall has moved you will have to go into a lot more work. You may need to get the help of a qualified contractor who has experience repairing footings and foundations. If your repairs are not done properly, they will not last and you will have wasted your time and materials. For more serious problems, it may be necessary to add pilings. These are done by digging into the dirt outside, make round holes, tying them into your footing and foundation with re-bar, then pouring concrete. For less serious problems, digging down to the footing, adding re-bar, and pouring a secondary footing can help strengthen the existing footing. For cosmetic changes, mixing up concrete and applying to the cracks will cover them.
