 | Justin Crain is VP / Treasurer of American Concrete Co., Inc., which is owned by his parents, Dennis and Jane Crain. American Concrete is celebrating its forty-first anniversary and Justin is the third generation to be involved with the family company. American Concrete was awarded the 2011 Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the year award. Justin is currently the President of the Kansas Ready Mix Concrete Association and is currently on the board of directors for the Mount Carmel Foundation as well as the Pittsburg Public Library Foundation. Please visit our website, www.americanconcreteco.net, or call 620.231.1520. |
Concrete
2012-08-02 10:24:54
Is it possible to fix cracking basement walls?
Q- The walls in our basement are slightly bowed, and have developed a couple of cracks. Is it possible to repair this as a DYI job, and if so, what would you rate the level of difficulty?
A- While it is possible to patch cement walls as a DYI job, you likely have another problem you need to address—the cause of the cracking.
Many things can cause cracking, but since you mentioned that the walls are slightly bowed, unstable soil is a likely culprit. Unstable soil can be a basement's (and homeowner's) worst nightmare and a problem you will want to address properly.
Unstable soil issues can arise when the soil is either expansive clay or compressible or improperly compacted. This can cause the structure to be unevenly supported which then leads to settling and shifting soil. Ultimately, you will notice this from signature signs such as the bowing walls and cracks.
Another issue may be a problem of uneven lateral loads, which can also be as a result of soil problems.
Either way, you may want to have a professional look at the problem before proceeding.
Fortunately, it is a fixable problem. One of the solutions that is often used is to install hydraulically driven piles or piers to help rescue settled foundations and then concrete stabilization processes to repair the cracks and stabilize and fortify the wall.
As you probably already surmised, this is really not a DYI project. You will want an expert to get in there as soon as possible and help fix the problem and prevent further movement.
