Well      03/08/2020

Causes of cracks in the walls of buildings. How to repair cracks in an apartment wall? Why are cracks dangerous?

Many people know the expression of the famous poetess Faina Ranevskaya that after a few years life gives cracks, which will grow over time if they are not patched up in time. Same with residential building, if a split or small crack appears on the load-bearing wall, then it is urgently necessary to address this problem.


The very first question that comes to mind is “ What to do if a brick wall is cracked?”

First of all, you need to consult with a professional builder, because a person who does not have even a minimum level of knowledge in the field of foundation construction and repair will find it very difficult to understand how to get rid of this problem once and for all.

Why does brick crack and how to repair cracks in brick wall, and similar to brickwork? These questions need to be examined from many angles. So let's get started.

Types and causes of crack formation

Today, construction companies offer revolutionary, strong and durable Portland cement, which has created a real revolution among building materials. It is distinguished not only by its durability, but also by its instant hardening speed, which is perhaps its main advantage among its competitors in the field of reinforcing materials.

All experienced builders know that immediately after construction, the building does not immediately take its place firmly and for a long time in the main foundation; this process takes about five to ten years, but cement mortar Quite the contrary, it gains strength very quickly. So very a big difference between the time of subsidence and settlement of the house can lead to the appearance of cracks and large splits, which will intensively tear apart the mass of load-bearing masonry.

Well, as for the solution of lime with the addition of sand, things are much simpler. It hardens quite slowly and when settlement of the foundation itself begins, empty or through voids should not appear in the walls. This technology strengthening is mainly used exclusively in the construction of new houses according to today's standard, and as time shows, in new buildings there are no problems with cracks and settlement of the foundation for a long time.

Builders - specialists separate the cracks among themselves in brickwork according to such signs:

  • What causes them to appear: deformation of the house structure, shrinkage or temperature wear of a residential building;
  • External and internal view the destruction itself on the wall: Split, rupture, cut;
  • Direction of destruction: horizontal, vertical, inclined at various angles;
  • Shape: curved, straight, closed or broken in half (that is, almost does not reach the edge load-bearing wall).
  • Size and depth: on the surface of the wall and inside it;
  • How complex the repair work is, what is the risk of wall destruction: dangerous and non-hazardous;
  • Time since destruction: stable or unstable;
  • Size of the opening of the split or crack itself: microscopic (up to one millimeter), small (up to three millimeters), medium (from four to eight millimeters), large (more than ten millimeters), very large (from fifteen millimeters or more).

Several main reasons for the appearance of such destruction on the wall, of which there are quite a lot:

  1. Settlement or destruction of the soil itself. This problem can cause uneven natural burning of the soil (strong and weak areas), incorrect and unacceptable load of the main foundation, leakage into the soil is very large quantity runoff and polluted waters. It is these reasons that can lead to the appearance of large indirect splits or to the formation vertical cracks, which can reach right up to the edge of the load-bearing wall and so on.
  2. The soil on which the house stands is very hardened. This phenomenon can be caused by severe frosts, which can cause uneven lifting of the foundation. In particular, soil hardening is very dangerous for an unfinished building, the walls of which have not yet hardened and have not acquired the necessary stability. In this particular case, uneven and deep cracks may form near the walls, and when the soil begins to melt after winter, the opposite process may most likely occur - settlement of the foundation, which can lead to new damage to the load-bearing walls.
  3. New repairs to a load-bearing wall may be needed after a small building or room has been added, as the foundation may not be able to support the new, additional weight and may settle.
  4. Uneven and inconsistent loads on the foundation of the house. For example, if the house is built in the Art Nouveau style, then luxurious and long glazing (which is very often used in this architectural style) can quite often alternate with small blind areas of the house, which will lead to big difference in weight and soil settlement.
  5. If the pit is located next to the building, then very high temperature conditions also have a detrimental effect on the soil, which in the future can lead not only to soil settlement, but also to its excessive looseness. It is for these reasons that medium-sized cracks can form on the walls.
  6. Extra load due to neighboring houses. On a common foundation, the zones of greatest stress are superimposed on each other and allow the soil to settle very strongly.
  7. The reasons may lie not only in the soil itself, but also above it. For example, collecting heavy building material in large quantities next to an unfinished building and already in the ground itself, additional loads and stresses can appear, and they can cause very strong external settlement of the foundation and the appearance of large cracks and splits.
  8. Constant impacts on the foundation. For example, if you are driving piles on the territory of a residential building, you are constantly moving heavy vehicles, the compressors are running - all this leads to the sinking of the sandy soil and a strong softening of the clay masses in the soil. The combination of all these factors can result in soil settlement and cracks in load-bearing walls.
  9. Influence high temperatures can cause vertical cracks and splits in the walls of your home. Repairing cracks in masonry is mainly required for longer buildings that do not have expansion joints.
  10. Overloading of brickwork. In this case, cracks may appear between the walls and on the pillars. Such cracks can be identified by the characteristic closedness and verticality of their direction. Overload of masonry. They appear in walls and on pillars. A characteristic feature of crush cracks is closedness and a vertical direction.
  11. Various non-hazardous shrinkage deformations can be observed on the plastered walls of a house - these can be small or small cracks that are very randomly scattered over the entire area of ​​the wall and are mostly closed, and the most important thing is that they do not reach the edge of the wall. They appear due to shrinkage of an overly thick plaster mortar.

Crack sealing technology

There are many ways to repair a crack in brickwork:

  • You can install a brick lock or a lock with an anchor;
  • Reinforcement of walls using tension bolts;
  • Repairing a through crack with steel staples;
  • Carry out repair work in the area where the floor slab is unlocked;
  • Strengthen the cracked wall;
  • Make an overlay from hardened steel;
  • Install special brackets
  • Install the floor slab;
  • Cover the wall with a finishing layer.

Watch this video for more details:

Conclusion

Apparently, from the above, it can be noted that general condition houses made of building bricks must be monitored very carefully. Since the sooner a crack or split is detected, the less time and Money to eliminate this problem.

More on the topic:

Minor defects can be corrected yourself if they are related to the plaster. If the appearance is associated with deformation of the main structure, then you need to seek help from specialists.

Exterior materials for cracks

  • Neomid Professional ─ universal putty. For deep cracks and potholes. Contains reinforcing fibers.
  • SEMIN Fibrelastic ─ elastic putty for external and interior work. Especially for “breathing” cracks and joints.
  • Profix ─ mounting and putty mixture. This is a flexible putty with easy application.

Crack mixtures for interior work

  • SEMIN Rebouchage ─ filling putty for interior work.
  • UNIS High-thickness ─ gypsum putty. Universal, easy to apply, crack-resistant. Warranty up to 15 years.
  • TERRACO Handyflex ─ super elastic crack filler.

DIY repair

Often during repair work you have to deal with unpleasant defects. They are discovered while re-sticking wallpaper or leveling a wall for painting. You can deal with minor flaws yourself. When there are more defects outside than inside the house, it makes the job more difficult. Of course, it is difficult to deal with the cause, but you can try to hide this defect.

Puttying cracks in a monolithic house

To “cure” defects in monolithic walls, you will need the appropriate tools and materials:

  • sealing composition (sealant, foam) and concrete mortar;
  • putty knife;
  • sanding mesh and holder for it;
  • brush with stiff bristles;
  • jointing tool.

First you need to widen the flaw by beating the edges with a hammer for better adhesion of the crack to the putty. Clean the defect from dust and pour sealant into it, then level the seam concrete mortar. What to cover with? You can, of course, use only the solution, but the sealing compound will not allow it to appear anymore. After drying, you need to sand any unevenness well.

What is the best way to cover up cracks in a load-bearing block wall?


Smooth cracks appear on the masonry when it is not reinforced. There are several putty options for wall repair. Let's look at some ways to eliminate the defect.

1 way:

  • clean and, if necessary, expand the crack;
  • clean from dust;
  • using metal E-shaped anchors secured with dowels, strengthen the crack between the blocks;
  • add pieces of broken cinder block to the solution (the smaller the better) and plaster the defect.

Method 2

  • widen the crack;
  • prime;
  • seal with mortar.

For small cracks It is permissible to use tile adhesive, mounting foam or special foam for blocks.

If there is a straight crack in the corners, how to fix it correctly


A straight corner crack must first be opened, primed with a tenacious “Soil-Contact” primer and the seam sealed. To do this, take the Isogypsum putty on a spatula and rub it well into the flaw. Place a mesh on top of the putty. After drying, smooth out all uneven surfaces.

Repairing cracks in brickwork: how to remove them

  • Repairing cracks in brickwork begins with removing dirt, dust, chipped bricks, fallen mortar and other unnecessary elements.
  • It is good to wet the crack, since the base of the brick tends to absorb water. By throwing the solution, it will penetrate deeper into the crack.
  • Cover the wide part of the defect with mortar, and fill the narrow part with sealant from a “gun”.
  • Since the sealant has White color, and the solution is gray, you need to give the crack an aesthetic appearance. To do this, apply glue with a spatula. tiles. It tolerates temperature changes well, is frost-resistant, and moisture-resistant.
  • After the building material has dried, sand the seam and smooth out any unevenness.

Repairing cracks in a concrete wall of a panel house with cement mortar

  • First, check the condition of the crack, widen it with a hammer and chisel.
  • Use a compressor to blow off all the dirt.
  • Depending on the brand of cement, prepare a solution. To do this, mix sand, cement, water, beat until mushy.
  • Lubricate the defect with PVA glue for better adhesion of the crack to the solution.
  • Fill the hole with mortar to the level of the wall.
  • Smooth out the seam.
  • After drying, clean up.

If there are cracks in a new house, how to repair them

  • Use a special tool to widen the crack.
  • Clean it from dust.
  • to improve the adhesion of the putty.
  • Seal the seam with putty using a putty knife.
  • To prevent recurrence of formations, glue with sickle tape.
  • Hold the top of the tape with one spatula, and smooth the tape with the second.
  • Reapply putty and allow time to dry.
  • After 24 hours, sand the surface of the seam.

Walls are vertical load-bearing and enclosing structures. They withstand force and non-force impacts. Therefore, they must be strong, durable, and withstand temperature and humidity conditions.

What to follow when repairing cracks: main rules


So that the load-bearing capacities and enclosing properties of the walls are preserved long time, you need to be guided by " General recommendations on crack repair technology."

Repair of cracks is carried out after drawing up a map of defects and a defect list, which confirm the results of the examination and the reasons for their occurrence.

When choosing unpleasant formations, you need to consider:

  • wall material;
  • number of flaws;
  • defect width;
  • branching of flaws;

Only then carry out repair work:

  • embroider;
  • clean from dust;
  • Rinse;
  • fill with suitable plaster.

If you notice a crack in the house, you need to monitor its changes: whether it expands or remains the same. When design changes have occurred, you need to seek advice from specialists. Only they will be able to professionally assess the condition of the surface and recommend measures to prevent and eliminate them.

Useful video on the topic

Crack in the wall panel house, what to do? To positively resolve this issue, you simply need to consider it systematically and thoroughly.

Determine the root causes qualitative analysis- that's half the battle. And deal with the actual solution on your own or by responsible organizations.

Open cracks in a panel house

There are two types of cracks in walls: open and closed. The names speak for themselves.

Closed cracks are located inside the walls and are not visible without special equipment. And open ones can be seen with the naked eye.

Any of these types of cracks is most often developing and without a set of measures to eliminate it will only lead to deterioration.

It is also worth paying close attention to the location of the crack in the outer or interior wall, in a load-bearing or partition wall, possibly on the ceiling or floor.

To independently analyze the risk of developing a split, it is possible to simply install a plaster beacon. If the lighthouse remains intact during the season, it means that there is no crack development and it can be repaired.

At the same time, growing cracks will show their variability and will constantly increase in volume. Stable cracks are the most favorable when considering this problem.

In addition, there are technological gaps that appear during the drying of components used in finishing and construction.

To avoid this type of crevices, various fastening materials resembling meshes are usually used. These cracks will not lead to the destruction of structures, but will only change its aesthetics.

If you try as hard as possible to distribute the cracks in the walls into subgroups, you will get the following picture:

  • For reasons: additive, deformation, temperature, structural, and also resulting from wear or weathering of walls.
  • By destruction: cuts, crushing and ruptures.
  • In direction: oblique, vertical and horizontal direction.
  • In shape: curvilinear, straight and closed (not touching the edges of the walls) contour.
  • By depth: external and through crevices.
  • By risk level: safe and dangerous.
  • By time: stable-permanent and unstable-permanent fractures.
  • By opening: large, small, hairy, developed.

What causes cracks in the walls of a panel house?

If the technology is followed and the operating rules are not violated, then the possible reasons for the formation of cracks are the following:

  1. Depreciation is the wear and tear of material. End of service life. For example, concrete will last 80-150 years.
  2. Erosion, weathering. Much faster, the natural environment leads to weakening and is a catalyst.
  3. The action of the soil itself and groundwater. Quite a common reason. In addition, foundations washed away by groundwater and cyclic freezing of the soil pose a danger.
  4. Humidity and temperature fluctuations are the most negative factor. Freeze-thaw cycles widen the crack even when the walls are quite resistant to this process.

If technologies were not taken into account responsibly enough, and violations of operating rules occur, then the reasons may be hidden in the following:

  1. Existence of extensions or superstructures. Certain compressive stresses are generated, as a result of which the foundation cushion settles in the soil. Moreover, adjacent cracks may contain inclined cracking in the “downward” direction, and with an opening in the “upward” direction. This also occurs when the superstructure passes along the entire length of the building.
  2. Fluctuating pressure on the foundation along the length of the building. This is often affected by large lengths of glazed areas. This affects the uneven settlement of the foundation.
  3. Construction of a pit near an already constructed structure. Soil displacements cause shifting loads, and accordingly oblique cracks appear, it’s simple.
  4. Interaction between adjacent foundations. With this type of impact, the loads add up and increase the overall point compression of the soil. If one of the buildings was built earlier, then the slope goes in its direction.
  5. Impact of loads on surfaces. This is storage on the ground near walls various materials, industrial raw materials and any other products. The result is that the soil contracts, the foundation settles, and cracks are created.
  6. Dynamic influences. This includes moving vehicles, driving piles, the operation of compressors and boilers in various workshops, and any similar vibrations. Also, under the influence of such loads, settlement of the foundation occurs.
  7. Freezing and freezing of soils. Freezing causes foundations to heave. This is especially dangerous during construction, when the walls have low bending rigidity. An extremely negative point is that the walls on which the remaining floors are erected are already being built with these deviations present.
  8. Changes in shape during shrinkage. During shrinkage, breaks often occur in the corners of wall openings in buildings and acquire a radial direction. Such clefts are simply not aesthetically pleasing. On plastered surfaces, small, closed, multidirectional or oriented cracks sometimes form that do not reach the corners. Their reason is the drying of a solution with high fat content.
  9. Wall overload. It threatens to destroy the walls and is accompanied by cracking of the main structures. Cracks of this kind are the initial sign of wall destruction and are extremely dangerous.

In a good way, in order to understand the reasons for the occurrence, you need documentation of the design history, engineering geology, operation of the structure, the location of underground communications and a work project with an author's supervision log.

Danger of a crack in the wall, identification of risks

Having determined the causes of cracking, you can roughly determine the degree of danger of their presence in the wall.

For an objective assessment, you will have to examine the cracks from your neighbors’ apartments and carefully look to see if there have been any redevelopments there. At good relations, the neighbors will show you without any problems, otherwise you will have to collect a commission.

For the most part, the cracks described are harmless. In new buildings, during the first 5 years, while the house “settles”, this is a fairly normal phenomenon, natural shrinkage.

The degree of danger of cracks in the wall

But perestroika or major reconstruction is already dangerous. The degree of danger is usually determined as follows: climbers place plaster notes or strips of special paper.

And within 3-4 weeks they monitor whether cracking will appear on the gypsum mark. When a crack appears, you need to observe for another 8-12 weeks. And if it really grows, you definitely need to contact an expert in the construction field.

Since in this case it is possible to intervene and strengthen the existing foundation of the building.

Construction of additional reinforcing structures - trenches along the foundation with reinforcement and filling. Moreover, the reinforcement must be connected to the existing foundation.

Holes are drilled in the foundation, pieces of reinforcement are driven in, and on the other side they are welded to the laid rods. These types of work can only be performed by experienced specialists.

But we will not consider this extreme point, but will consider how to generally cope with the most dangerous cracks on our own.

How to repair cracks in walls yourself?

If there is a problem - a crack in, and there is no idea what to do, first you should decide on its type.

If the size of the cleft is insignificant, the easiest way is to eliminate it polyurethane foam, with further plaster and putty. But don't fill big cracks construction foam or other components, as this will speed up the crushing.

Through cracks are the most dangerous and their rather sensitive expansion will lead to the fall of the floor slabs. This solution can only be a temporary solution for surviving the winter, during which it is irrational to do so.

In addition, professionals in many cases advise using gypsum mixtures, they are given time easy to find. Execution technology the repair is quite simple. How to cover cracks in an apartment wall? The crack “opens up”, is cleared of dust and dirt, the surface is washed with water and dries.

After reading the instructions, mix it with water, stir until smooth without any clots and seal the crack.

Apply the solution using a spatula. Do not forget that gypsum tends to expand, so you need to make sure that there is a sufficient amount of solution in the cracks.

If you do not take this point into account, there will be more gypsum than necessary, the crack will worsen, and a new displacement of the wall will arise.

Once the removal is complete, you need to let the plaster dry completely, this is about 5-6 hours. Then sandpaper clean off any remaining plaster. And admire the updated smooth wall.

You can also make a good old 3 to 1 mortar, parts sand to parts cement, adding water. This solution will be most suitable for uniformity to the panel wall.

It is applied in the same way as gypsum mortar, using a spatula. When dry, it has less impact on the wall, but here you need to understand a little about the properties of sand, it should not be greasy.

To stop the development of large cracks, you can install a channel (anchor) or metal plates. To do this, the wall is cleared of plaster, approximately 50 cm in each direction from the edge of the crack, and plates are installed.

They are fastened with dowels or long bolts, and for the second option it is better to drill through the wall. First, everything should be prepared, cleaned and blown with foam. And then insert the anchors into the prepared place and secure with the specified fasteners.

Now there is enough information about what to do when a crack is detected in the walls of a panel house to resolve the issue.

Who should pay for cracks in the walls of a panel house?

Crack in the wall apartment building- where to contact

First, you need to decide on the situation and find the real root cause. These may be the builders themselves, also developers, neighbors or third parties.

To do this you need to contact management company or partnership, which first draw up a deed, install beacons and control their position.

And then follow the procedure described earlier. If the situation is complicated, with a fairly large crack, when the management company and the HOA do not take any action, it is worth filing an application with the City Housing Inspectorate and waiting for the commission to appear.

But it is worth remembering that since 2010, the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation has issued a resolution, the essence of which is that this issue is completely assigned to the management company.

And then she deals with the search for the root cause and the culprits, if any. The commission, which must include an engineer from the BTI, must reflect in the act everything that is said regarding the cracks in question, objectively. It is also advisable to have neighbors as witnesses.

A cracked wall should not be treated carelessly. A crack in the wall of a house is a consequence of a violation of the technology for constructing the foundation or walls. After reading our short educational program, you will learn how to correctly determine the cause of cracks in indirect signs. And, as a result, you will be able to quickly eliminate the mistake, avoiding further complications.

Causes of cracks

Due to the movement of soil layers, the entire building tilts in one direction or the other, but in general the building is held tightly and monolithically, thanks to a massive and strong base. And this is precisely what is frightening: if cracks appear on the wall, it means that the foundation is not fulfilling its function.

Meanwhile there is whole line reasons due to which cracks can form without destruction of the base. And if the foundation is not rigid enough or the supporting soils do not evenly accept the load, the tape will bend more than the walls can withstand. We can safely say that cracks appear due to imperfections in the building design, design errors or shortcomings during construction.

Cracks may be the result of errors in design, construction or improper operation of the building

The root cause is the fact that the soil layer under the foundation is heterogeneous. In high-density areas, the pressure is greater, causing the building to rest on just a few points and deform under its own weight. The main feature is that the density of plots can change significantly over time or depending on weather conditions. Due to freezing, soil heaves occurs, when wet, it becomes too soft, and less often geological, seismic and geomorphological factors come into play.

Simply repairing or hiding a crack is not enough; you should find out the cause of its formation and only then begin restoration.

How to determine the cause of a crack

When cracks are first detected, it is necessary to begin close monitoring of their development, simultaneously recording temperature changes and the presence of precipitation during this period. To have the most complete understanding of cracking patterns, it is helpful to keep a detailed log throughout the year.

To visualize changes in the width of cracks, small lumps of alabaster, soaked to the consistency of plasticine, are attached to them. Beacons are installed along the entire length of the crack every meter. By checking the marks periodically, for example after a month, two, and so on, we can draw a conclusion about the nature of the damage:

  1. If the mark has cracked or fallen off, it means the crack is continuing to expand. The gap in the mark can be used to judge the speed of divergence.
  2. If the mark is cracked, there is no gap, the wall is subjected to dynamic loads, but there is no longer any tension in the material, and no further discrepancies are observed.
  3. If the mark remains intact, it means there is no stress in the wall. The crack was the result of one-time shrinkage.

To obtain more accurate information, observations are continued over a long period, and damaged tags are replaced with new ones, recording the previous result.

Any hard but brittle material that can detect the slightest deformation of the base can be used as marks.

The shape of the cracks can say a lot about the nature of the movement. If the fracture site is smooth, the edge is sharp and has no chips, then the crack has expanded and simply torn the lighthouse. If the edges of the crack on the lighthouse have chipped edges, or it has fallen off completely, most likely, the crack, on the contrary, has decreased, and the lighthouse has collapsed from compression.

The special shape of the tags and beacons helps to identify the most minor fluctuations

By projecting these changes onto the geometric model of the house and foundation, you can determine with high accuracy how settlement occurs over time, whether it depends on the wetness of the ground during rain, where there are places of high and low density.

And yet, the most complete information can only be provided by a comprehensive analysis performed by specialists based on an examination, which includes:

Ultimately, with your own observations or with outside help, it will be possible to draw up an action plan to strengthen the foundation and walls of the building and eliminate cracks.

We eliminate the cause, get rid of the crack

The most dangerous case is when the crack continues to expand. This indicates that the walls of the building or the foundation will be irreparably damaged. The problem can be radically solved only by completely rebuilding the damaged section of the building. However, if you notice the problem in time, it will help much less radical way- covering the house.

Everything is done quite simply:

  1. Steel corners with a 100 mm flange are installed at the outer corners.
  2. On crutches, at least two lines of smooth reinforcement are laid along the walls - upper and lower.
  3. A thread is cut on each rod: left on one side, right on the other. Nuts are screwed onto the reinforcement and welded to the corners.
  4. A meter from the corner, on the side of the reinforcing bars, a small parallel rod is welded so that rotation can be transmitted with a regular adjustable wrench.
  5. During final tightening, two people twist the bar simultaneously, gradually increasing the tension.

In this case, the cracks literally melt before our eyes, all that remains is to replace the protective plaster of the walls and base, reinforcing it with steel mesh.

An example of tightening a building along the plinth

It is possible that the markers on the crack will remain intact for a long time or the gap will constantly expand and contract, but overall not increase. This a clear sign that the foundation is working normally, and that there were initially excess stresses in the wall material, which resulted in a crack.

To strengthen the wall in a problem area use:

  • external reinforcement with carbon fiber, steel mesh;
  • anchors and metal frames;
  • embedded reinforcing elements along grooves;
  • injection method.

It is important to close the crack and restore the strength of the structure. If the cause was improper ligation of brick rows, then it is quite possible that the only effective remedy will be a complete or partial re-lining of the wall in the emergency area.

Laying reinforcement in the grooves helps to contain further deformations

Massive reinforcement with an external frame with anchor fastening to the wall

Strengthening walls with external carbon fiber reinforcement

Repairing cracks using the injection method

To seal any cracks, it is necessary to clean it along its entire length and depth from dirt, dust, remove the layer of mortar and base material, expanding it to 15 mm or more. The resulting gap is filled with mortar, having previously been reinforced using one of the methods listed above.

Heaving as a result of soil soaking

To prevent the soil under the foundation from becoming oversaturated with moisture, a blind area is installed around the house and the drainage pipes are pulled as far away as possible. However, over time, the screed may collapse, and rainwater will seep directly under the foundation, washing it away.

Typically, a sign of such a phenomenon is the gradual expansion of cracks, which occurs mainly during heavy rainfall or some time after it. It is typical for such phenomena that cracks seem to “split off” the corners of the house, passing through the nearest window openings.

Frost heaving can destroy the foundation of a house

The foundation continues to remain intact, but the overall tilt of the building may increase from year to year. In addition, no one knows how much the next shrinkage will occur and how this will affect the integrity concrete base. Heaving due to high humidity may also occur due to rising water.

Will help solve the problem qualitatively drainage system, collected around the perimeter of the building to drain groundwater and overhead water away from the foundation. It is necessary to expose the foundation to the base, lay drainage pipe onto the prepared sand and gravel cushion around the perimeter of the foundation and divert it to the side. To discharge the water it is necessary to prepare drainage well or lead the pipe to the nearest body of water.

Drainage for removing groundwater from atmospheric precipitation and melt water from the base of the foundation

A wide blind area will not allow precipitation to flow under the foundation

An obligatory step to eliminate the problem is the restoration of the cement blind area and its expansion. Usually for shallow strip foundation A blind area about 40-60 cm wide is sufficient, and for buried foundations - up to one and a half meters. It would also not be superfluous to install ebb tides and reset rainwater 4-5 meters from the house.

What to do if the problem is in the foundation

If no measures are successful, you will have to look for the problem in the foundation. A prerequisite for this may be not only the visible formation of a crack in the exposed area, but also the general structural unsuitability of the base, causing insufficient rigidity.

Local foundation faults should be repaired immediately. First, a dig is made to a depth of 60-100 cm under the bottom edge of the tape and up to 2 meters wide. A pedestal reinforced with reinforcement is poured under the fracture site, after which the pit dries, the pit is expanded another meter in each direction and topped up again.

Strengthening the foundation with piles

Do not forget that the reason may be an initial miscalculation in the design of the house or failure to comply with the requirements during construction:

  • the properties of supporting soils are not taken into account;
  • the foundation depth is incorrectly selected to the actual freezing depth;
  • the width of the foundation is not enough for real loads, etc.

Strengthening the foundation by additionally pouring reinforced concrete around the perimeter of the building

If cracks appear in the foundation and walls of the house, then measures should be immediately taken to strengthen the foundation, for example screw piles, side or bottom gravy. It is possible to determine which method of reinforcement is required only by relying on data from construction expertise and the preparation of the appropriate project, which is best left to professional designers.