Identifying Concrete Problems

Concrete foundations are probably going to crack over time. Most small foundation cracks aren't anything to be too concerned with. However, if a crack goes through the entire foundation, moisture can seep in. So, if you have a foundation that is exposed in your basement, you can look for cracks and repair them. Also, if you are changing your flooring in your basement, and the concrete is temporarily exposed, you can make these repairs before you install the new flooring material.

This article explains how to repair concrete cracks using basic, over-the-counter products.

Should You Fill the Cracks?

First of all, not every crack in your foundation necessarily needs to be repaired. In fact, some cracks are going to be so thin that they cannot be repaired. There is no space for the crack filler to go. It is very common for such small stress cracks to occur. Cracking in foundation is usually the result of the soil underneath shifting around. This can be the result of water or tree roots growing under the foundation. Regardless of what is causing your small cracks, you should only worry about repairing them if they are about 1/8" wide. When they are this wide, you can easily fill them in with crack filler.

Using Crack Filler

Crack filler is basically a mixture of concrete and glue. The glue is very important because it holds the filler in the crack and enables it to bond with cold, dry concrete. So, you don't want to use normal concrete mixture to fill such tiny cracks.The first thing you need to do is make sure the crack is as clean as possible. You can vacuum it out, sweep it, and scrub it. One thing you need to know when filling concrete cracks is that you just want to put the crack filler inside the crack. Don't worry about putting it on top of the concrete. It is different than what you do when you patch asphalt.

You can usually squeeze the crack filler directly into the void. Then, you can use a plastic or metal putty knife to spread around the filler and make sure it dries flat and even. You have to realize that the crack filler is not necessarily going to hide the blemish. However, having a cracked that is filled is still better because it will help hold the concrete and prevent the edges from chipping.

As you can see, it isn't very difficult to repair concrete cracks. So, if you have any cracks in your housing foundation, you should repair them as soon as possible. To learn more about foundation repair, contact local concrete contractors.