Using a Contractor to Improve Your Home

Why Your Epoxy Foundation Repairs May Have Failed Prematurely

Are you wondering why new cracks are appearing in the foundation that you recently repaired using epoxy crack repair products? Read on and discover some of the reasons that could explain that premature failure.

Delayed Curing Process

Epoxy crack repair products often solidify after several hours once the mixture has been pumped into a crack in a foundation. This delayed curing can create an opportunity for a defect to develop at the repair site. How does that happen? The liquid material can succumb to gravity and flow away from the desired point. Gaps will, therefore, develop in those spots where the liquid resins have flowed away during the curing process.

Wet Substrate

Some epoxy crack repair products may fail to cure if those products are applied when the target areas are still wet. That impediment of the curing process can allow other factors, such as moisture and gravity, to wash those resins from the cracks where they should settle and harden. This problem can be avoided by performing the repairs during the dry season when the foundation will contain less moisture.

Previous Repairs

Some foundation repair projects end in premature failure because the repair site had been repaired earlier with similar products. As already mentioned, epoxy resins harden when they cure at a repair site. This can, therefore, make it hard for subsequent resins to flow to all the cracks in a foundation. The gaps that remain in the remnants of the old epoxy compounds will allow water to leak into your basement.

Unresolved Structural Issues

Epoxy crack repairs can also fail sooner than expected if the cracks were repaired before addressing any underlying structural problems that could have caused the foundation cracks. For example, the foundation walls can crack if the soil beneath that foundation settles. Epoxy repair compounds become rigid once they cure. Any subsequent foundation movement will, therefore, cause the epoxy to crack. The best way to have lasting results is to solve the structural issues first (installing screw piles, for example) before conducting the crack repairs.

The best way to ensure that the repairs will last is by hiring professional contractors who can perform foundation crack repairs for you. Those professionals will conduct a detailed assessment of the site before recommending the best way to fix those cracks. Desist from DIY foundation crack repairs if you don't have the skills needed for such a demanding project.


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