Cracks in the basement walls and floor are perfectly normal. As the concrete shrinks, it places high stresses on the walls and as a result, they crack. The walls of a house will shrink, especially when the house is first built, there is no way of preventing the shrinkage from happening. What is important, however, is that basement crack repair in Baltimore, gets done as soon as the cracks appear; these repairs will stop water from seeping into the basement.
The most popular method of basement crack repair Baltimore is called polyurethane foam injection. This unique foam mixes with any water in the crack and hardens into a solid fill. As the foam hardens, the polyurethane bonds permanently to the concrete, a barrier is created that seals the water out forever. There are other ways to seal cracks in concrete, but this method is preferred by most homeowners.
There are kits that can be purchased in hardware stores and builders supply stores. The kits work as a stop gap measure but they are more cosmetic than permanent. Rather than use a repair kit, hydraulic cement is recommended.
When hydraulic cement is used for basement crack repair in Baltimore, it demands that the crack be opened up and cut away. Once the crack is prepared, it is filled with the cement. Once again, hydraulic cement is more of a surface repair and it cannot get deep into the crack such as foam can.
If you do not know the proper solution to the repair of the cracks, it is highly recommended that you engage a contractor that does this as a business. They are fully prepared with a number of solutions; they will apply the solution that is best for your situation.
When the walls and floor are new and not yet showing evidence of cracking, do not sand or paint your walls. Once the cracks have appeared and been repaired, then the walls can be waterproofed and prepared for painting.
As the area to be painted is below grade, it is important that the walls be treated with a waterproof compound prior to final painting. Apply the treatment with a stiff bristled brush so that it gets into all the small imperfections of a poured wall. Allow the waterproofing treatment to completely dry before the walls are prepared for paint.
The final coatings for the concrete walls should consist of a good quality primer with stain resistant qualities. When the walls are properly primed, less top coat will be required. The topcoat should be mold and mildew resistant. During the time when basement crack repair in Baltimore is being done, along with the surface prep and finishing make sure you have plenty of ventilation.
If you need basement crack repair in Baltimore done, you should call upon the services of Armored Basement Waterproofing, LLC. They are expert at solving water problems in basements, with 11 years of experience and hundreds of problems solved. Follow us at Twitter.
