A1 Waterproofing specializes in permanently sealing cracks in your basement’s foundation walls using state of the art Urethane pressure injection technology. Specially formulated Epoxy materials and engineered injection techniques bond cracked surfaces from the inside out, which will completely close the crack, and permanently stops any leak.
We are so confident in our technology and expertise that we offer a lifetime guarantee and a money back guarantee if we cant permanently stop your leak

There are many factors that cause concrete to crack. Some of the factors that can cause concrete cracks are:

• Drying Shrinkage – as concrete cures and goes through it’s chemical reaction between the water and cement particles it begins to “dry” out. As with most materials that dry out they begin to shrink causing hairline cracks to appear.
• Thermal Shrinkage – all materials shrink and expand with changes in temperature. As concrete cools down (the chemical reaction that’s created when water and cement is mixed creates heat) it shrinks. The shrinking from cooling down can also cause hairline cracks to appear.
• Restraint – This topic is a bit harder to explain but it’s caused when concrete is confined and prevented from moving due to the structure. If the concrete wants to move due to loading, thermal or other effects and it’s restrained from doing so it will crack.
• Settlement – If the ground around a foundation settles it can cause the concrete to crack. Settlement can cause significant damage under certain circumstances.
• Loads – As I mentioned when concrete is subjected to loads that cause tension it will crack the concrete. Tension can be caused by many different loading conditions and it’s best dealt with by designing reinforced concrete that uses rebar.
• Corrosion – When steel rebar corrodes inside of concrete it expands and causing the concrete around it to crack.

Of the foundation cracks you are likely to encounter, vertical cracks are generally the most common and least severe type of crack you will come across. Vertical cracks are cracks that go straight up and down, or maybe on a slight diagonal of within 30 degrees of vertical, and are a common occurrence in many houses. These types of cracks are usually the result of your foundation settling, and it is thusly not uncommon even for new houses to have this type of foundation damage as a home’s foundation can settle greatly in the first few years. Fortunately, this type of crack is usually the easiest and least expensive to have sealed. 

Diagonal cracks run along your foundation or basement wall at a 30-75 degree angle. This type of crack may be a thin hairline crack, but will likely be wider at one end than the other. Diagonal foundation cracks are caused by differential settling of a foundation, which is where one side of a home’s foundation settles lower than the rest of the foundation. This type of uneven tension then causes diagonal cracking. Differential settling can be the result of the house being built on a hill, or due to the expansion or contraction of the soil under a portion of the home. This type of crack can be more costly to repair than a vertical crack since it may be necessary to address the cause of the differential settlement after the crack is sealed. 

Foundation cracks that run sideways (horizontally) are the most serious type of crack to look out for, as they can signal serious damage to your home’s foundation and structural integrity. While these cracks are sometimes seen in homes with poured concrete foundations, they are most common in homes with concrete block or brick foundations. Several things can cause this type of foundation damage including soil pressure outside of your foundation, and hydrostatic pressure that can cause your basement walls to bow. If you discover this type of foundation damage it is important that you have it repaired as soon as possible before the structural integrity of your home becomes compromised. This type of cracking will require the most extensive repairs, which will likely include reinforcing your foundation in order to secure it and prevent further damage.

Knowing what types of cracking you may discover in your home can help you to determine the severity of the damage to your foundation. Ultimately, however, any cracks you discover in your home’s foundation should be taken seriously and professionally inspected and repaired so that you can ensure the structural integrity of your home. Contact A1 Waterproofing to learn more about what you need to know if you encounter cracks in your home’s foundation.