Masonry structure crack type FAQs set #2 on Shrinkage vs Expansion vs Settlement cracks.

This article series discusses in detail the process of distinguishing types foundation damage due to shrinkage, expansion, or settlement, for all types of masonry foundations: concrete, masonry block, wood, stone, pre-cast.

Q&A on Types of Masonry Cracks: Shrinkage vs Expansion vs Settlement #2

These questions and answers about identifying the different types, causes, and importance of various masonry cracks in brick, block, concrete, stone foundations, walls, floors etc. were posted originally

at CONCRETE SLAB CRACK EVALUATION - that's a good place to start crack analysis.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2018-12-02 by (mod) - ok to use injected Emercole Metro 120 ealant to repair cracks in a foundation wall?

Anon:

Emercole has decades of experience with crack sealants used, apparently, principally to stop water entry.

I have no first-hand experience with this specific sealant, but certainly a range of foam and epoxy and polyurethane sealants have been in use for some time as crack sealants.

Just how successful such a job will be, in my OPINON, depends on additional factors besides the qualities of the sealant itself including the stability and cleanliness of the crack into which it's inserted, the hydrostatic pressures involved, whether or not there is ongoing foundation movement and of course other factors like following the manufacturers' instructions.

The manufacturer typically warrants the product's successful performance for an amount no greater than what you paid for the sealant itself.


Here is what Emecole says about their product

Emecole Metro 120 Structural Reinforcement Polyurethane is the strongest injection polyurethane manufactured by Emecole.

When repairing cracks with carbon fiber staples, we recommend Emecole Metro 120 to be injected in the crack instead of epoxy. When compared to using epoxy, the installer will use about half the amount of material therefore saving time and material costs.

Emecole Metro 120 is a unique two part hydrophobic in that it does not need any moisture to expand, therefore it is widely used in pipe penetration and dry crack repair.

Emecole Metro 120 begins reacting within minutes and cures within 10-20 minutes.

Expands up to six times its original volume.

Use in conjunction to our carbon fiber reinforcement products as a replacement to typical epoxies. Since it expands, repairs take much less material than epoxies.

Cures to a very hard non flexible solid without requiring additional water for expansion.

Note: The 3/8 x 24 mixer used with Emecole Metro 120 requires the use of a hose assembly.

Here is the product data sheet:

Emercole Metro1 PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS [PDF] Emercole Mtro LLC, Emecole Metro LLC 724 Parkwood Avenue Romeoville, IL 60446 USA, retrieved 2018/12/02, original source: www.emecole.com/content/pd/e120.pdf

Watch out: while there are "structural repair epoxies" on the market and sold for structural repairs to concrete, not all crack sealants are structural.

If the foundation that has cracked involves a structural failure OR if the cause of the crack has not been remedied and further foundation movement can be expected,

then in my OPINON simply sealing up a foundation crack wth sealant

may be about as effective in stopping the underlying damage to the structure as

the poor Dusky Gopher Frog (Rana servosa) is at fending off a predator about to eat it when the rana, feeling threatened, covers its eyes with its front legs, peeking out periodically until the danger passes ... or it's eaten. (cf. "Liptak, Adam, "Big Day in ourt Doesn't End So Well for a Spotted, Subterranean Litiagant", The New York Times, p. A18, 2018/12/02)

The Costa Rican Tinamou (a small light brown nondescript bird) similarly closes its eyes and hopes for the best.

See POLYURETHANE FOAM INJECTION CRACK REPAIRS for more information

Bottom line:

IF all you need to do is stop water entry, sealing cracks with a sealant is perfectly reasonable, though I prefer also to look outside the building to find and fix the source of water - usually a roof runoff issue.

If there is NO evidence of ongoing structural movement and the building is not threatened with collapse - which can be the case depending on the cause of cracking - then sealing may be sufficient.

But if movement continues or is seasonal or if there is a structural repair needed then I'd want more expert evaluation by an experienced foundation repair contractor.

For example if I inject non-structural-repair foam into a crack and later someone says I should have epoxied it I'm sunk.

It's not usual for a foundation wall to slope outwards unless the whole building has shifted in that direction. I'd want to understand what's going on.

Look with care at the cracks: if they are OLD - dirt or paint filled - and not actively moving - no fresh breaks, monitoring hasn't found more movement over recent years - then yeah it's possible they date from construction.

Please understand that I can't even guess at your home's condition when I'm in the same position as the Tinamou - my eyes are covered - I can't see a thing.

On 2018-12-02 by Anonymous - cracks in 1928 Craftsman style home

I love your website and have read much of it as it pertains to a crack issue my husband and I are trying to address in our home.

We need some help as there are many variables.

Here goes: Our craftsman style home was built in 1928; it has a poured concrete foundation. Unlike today's concrete mixes, the concrete in our basement is very coarse and you can see golf ball size stones mixed in here and there.

My husband and I have lived in the home (in Vermont) for 34 years.

On two basement walls, you can see where the original owner patched (with concrete) some early cracks, which have remained unchanged over time (they likely occurred soon after the pour--just a guess). These walls sit on or near bedrock.

On the two other walls, there are a series of vertical cracks up to 1/2" in width, from floor to top of the foundation wall, along with a diagonal crack and some hairline horizontal cracks; some of the cracks are around the windows, others are not.

None of these cracks were patched and so we assume they are newer cracks than those in the other two walls.

These walls do not sit on bedrock. Twenty+ years ago, we filled these cracks with foam insulation to stop air infiltration--so they've been there for a long time and are not too new.

They have never leaked water. Now we are interested in a more permanent 'fix' (and to also mitigate against radon) but are struggling to figure out what product to use.

We've researched until we are blue in the face! We tried the DIY epoxy, but most of it ran outside to the soil below grade--poof, it was gone.

Long story short: A local crack repair specialist won't do the job using epoxy until we consult with an engineer because the foundation walls slope outward; he requires an engineer's approval, but it's very costly. He WILL do the repair with polyurethane since it is not a 'structural repair'.

We suspect--but don't know for sure--that the foundation walls were probably poured that way in 1928--it was an early use of poured concrete foundations.

Having lived in the house for 34 years with no cracks seen in the house interior walls or the chimney, we are not fearful of the house falling down.

Do you have any suggestions for how best to address our crack issue?

We read your cautionary statement (and took it to heart) about using flexible sealing materials and being unable to monitor the cracks over time.

Balance that against the desire (we think) to fill the cracks with something strong and hard.

The polyurethane products (flexible) may be the only ones suitable to fill the large (1/2 in) cracks and keep air and radon out.

Also any thoughts on this product {Emercole Metro 120] which seems like a hybrid of 'easy to use' and 'structural'

Any advice you can provide would be much appreciated! Thank you (and sorry for the long post).

On 2018-08-25 by Thomas

Is this structural damage? How to repair?

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Continue reading  at FOUNDATION SHRINKAGE vs EXPANSION vs SETTLEMENT or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

For detailed information about foundation repair methods, including repairs to various kinds of cracks in concrete, see:

• FOUNDATION BULGE or LEAN MEASUREMENTS simple method for determining how much bulge or lean is present in a foundation or wall
• FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE - home
• FOUNDATION CRACK DICTIONARY - home
• FOUNDATION DAMAGE SEVERITY
• FOUNDATION MOVEMENT ACTIVE vs. STATIC determine if the foundation movement is ongoing,
• FOUNDATION REPAIR METHODS catalog of Foundation Repair Methods - Examples of Typical Foundation Repairs for various types of foundation cracks, leaks, settlement, movement, or other failures
• POLYURETHANE FOAM INJECTION CRACK REPAIRS for details of the procedure for using polyurethane foam to seal foundation cracks.
• SEAL CONCRETE CRACKS, HOW TO

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