The Concrete Truth

What would you say if I told you that I could show you a new way of repairing an actively leaking crack without using any surface seal or injection ports? I developed this new technique several months ago. I have tried this technique several times now with great results. I have struggled with what to do with this new approach for so some time now.  So, I’m just going to put it out there for anybody to use if they wish.

It literately came to me in a dream. In the years I’ve been doing basement waterproofing and foundation crack repair, I’ve taken many seminars. Some of those seminars included repairing sanitary sewers. Ground water leaking into sanitary sewer openings adds to the cost of treating the sewage because clean water doesn’t need to be treated. Therefore, these leaking sewer openings must be repaired to keep the clean ground water out of the sanitary system to cut cost to municipalities. What I have done is to combine the techniques I learned in these types of repairs, with my knowledge of foundation crack repairs in the residential sector, and developed a way for anyone to repair leaking cracks on the spot. This eliminates the need to come back to do the crack repair after it stops leaking. Saving the contractor valuable time and and money.

Tools needed:

1/2″ concrete drill bit 12″ long, Hammer drill, (like the Bostch Bulldog), Injection gun, Hydrophilic urethane, 3/8″ static mixer, rubber washer (slip washer on mixer tip), paper towels, rubber gloves, and eye protection.

Start by drilling holes one inch off to the side of the crack all the way through the wall to the outside. Holes should be about 8″ apart starting about 2″ off the floor. When you drill the holes through the wall, water may begin to leak out of the holes. DO NOT DRILL THE HOLES AT AN ANGLE INTERSECTING THE CRACK! The drill holes must be drilled strait through the wall next to the crack. After all the holes are drilled, you can now begin the repair. Place the rubber washer on the tip of the static mixer as shown in the illustration below. Place the static mixer with the washer against the bottom hole and apply enough pressure to keep the urethane from leaking back around the washer. Begin injecting the Hydrophilic Urethane into the hole forcing it to the outside of the wall. As the urethane reaches the outside of the wall it will begin to mix with the water coming back through the crack. Because the Hydrophilic Urethane sets up very quickly, by the time it reaches the inside of the crack, it will have set up, filling the crack. You may have to place some of the paper towels against the crack on the inside of the foundation wall to absorb the water and hold the urethane in the crack until it sets, but this is usually not necessary. You can patch holes and cover crack with hydraulic cement after the modified injection is complete. Continue this same process until you have reached the top of the wall. As a side note, you can achieve the same results by using packers.

If you follow these steps, you will be able to repair all leaking cracks, no matter how much water is leaking through them. I have been experimenting with this technique for a few months now and some of you may find some variations that improve this process. The fact is, nothing is perfect. But, with a slight modification to an existing component and a little ingenuity, a once difficult part of crack injection will no longer be an obstacle. Good luck and happy deposits!

“If the best things in life are free, why are the next best things so expensive?”    -Anonymous

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