What Is Polyurethane Crack Injection?
If you are a homeowner in Hamilton that has noticed cracks in your basement walls, you may be worried about what the cost of repairs will be. But before you start to panic, take a breath. The cost may be less than you think if the job is suitable for polyurethane crack injection.
What is polyurethane injection?
Polyurethane injection is a method of repairing basement cracks that works by injecting cracks with a foam rubber seal. This method works best on concrete walls and slabs, but is not suitable for block construction.
It is the most cost-effective means of repairing leaking basement cracks provided that the basement is unfinished and that the cracks are easily accessible (no excavation required). When injected into a crack, the polyurethane provides a permanent seal to keep out leaks.
How does polyurethane crack injection work?
We start by drilling angled holes into the wall on one side of the crack, which are approximately 4 inches deep. The idea is for the hole to pass through the crack approximately in the centre of the width of the wall. These holes are drilled along the length of the crack, and nylon injection points are installed in each hole.
The next phase is to use a high-pressure pump to force water and acid into the crack. This cleans out any loose debris. The crack is then flushed out with water again before we inject the polyurethane.
As the polyurethane reacts with the water inside the crack, it begins to foam and expand, oozing out of the crack and forming a seal. If the crack is visible from the outside, you will also see the polyurethane oozing out there as well.
Unlike other crack sealing solution, which may only create a seal in a V groove, polyurethane fills the entire crack from the front to the back of the wall.
Why polyurethane?
In addition to polyurethane injection being the most economical option for basement crack repair, it is also incredibly effective. In many cases, the polyurethane will last forever, and the cracks will not get any bigger once the polyurethane has been injected.
In rare cases, however, if there were excessive amounts of water used when the concrete was originally mixed, the concrete could continue to shrink and cause more cracks. Usually, concrete shrinkage happens primarily within the first five years after a home has been built.
Contact Conterra Foundation today
If you own a home in the Hamilton area and basement cracks have you worried, give us a call today. We can send a member of our team out to inspect the situation and determine if polyurethane crack injection is a suitable solution for you.
Don’t ignore basement cracks and allow them to get worse. Give us a call today.
