Basement Repair – Repairing Basement Cracks and Structural Damage

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Basement cracks that aren’t repaired allow water, mud, bugs and radon into your home. Bowing walls indicate structural damage and can collapse if not addressed promptly.

Larger cracks in basement walls should be assessed by a professional to determine their cause. They may require wall anchors or braces to stabilize them over time. Click the Basement Repair Naperville IL to learn more.

As basement cracks get worse, they can affect the structural integrity of the house, which can increase maintenance costs and lower property value. As a homeowner, you will need to address these issues as soon as they appear. While the most common cause of a basement wall crack is shifts in the foundation, it can also be caused by soil settlement, hydrostatic pressure and freezing and thawing cycles. If not addressed, these problems can lead to a weakened foundation that could collapse over time.

The first step in basement crack repair is a detailed inspection to assess the length, width and depth of the crack and identify underlying causes. This will determine the best repair method for your home. For example, if your basement wall is bowing or leaning, a carbon fiber reinforcement system can be installed to stabilize and straighten the wall. This is a less invasive option than installing wall anchors or braces, but may still require professional assessment and installation.

If you’re experiencing the telltale signs of a basement crack, such as countertops and cabinets that are pulling away from the wall, it’s important to hire professionals for basement crack repair as early as possible. They will be able to identify the issue quickly and integrate waterproofing measures into the repair to prevent future leaks. While hiring a professional will cost more upfront, they offer long-term cost savings through waterproofing and preventing additional damage to your foundation and the rest of your home.

A professional will start by digging a 2’ x 2’ hole centered on the crack and cleaning the area around it. They will then inject the crack with hydraulic cement, which is designed to resist hydrostatic pressure and expand in the crack as it dries to create a tight seal. After the crack is repaired, a layer of waterproofing material will be applied (typically some form of a vapor barrier). Finally, experts will backfill the hole, tamping down the dirt as it’s returned.

For exterior cracks, a similar process is used to ensure a watertight and strong repair. A vapor barrier is applied to the crack followed by a coating of concrete waterproofing mastic. This mastic is the same material we use to encapsulate basements and helps to protect the epoxied crack from moisture and other contaminants.

Interior Crack Repair

Your basement’s foundation is the very structure your house sits on and, therefore, it requires a lot of care and attention. If neglected, basement cracks and structural damage can become serious problems that compromise the integrity of your home. The good news is, when problems occur, there are a variety of repair methods to address them, from exterior crack sealing to more advanced carbon fiber reinforcement techniques.

The location of your basement cracks is a key factor in selecting a repair method. Smaller, hairline cracks can be addressed with interior repairs that inject a specialized polymer into the crack. This method is less invasive, can be carried out under any weather conditions, and requires significantly less manpower than external repair methods. However, if your basement is unfinished, or has significant physical obstructions within it, the interior crack sealant may not be as effective as an external option.

Besides sealing a basement crack, a comprehensive basement repair project will include waterproofing measures. Exterior waterproofing involves excavating around your home’s foundation and applying a waterproof membrane. Interior waterproofing addresses existing leaks and moisture by incorporating drainage systems, sump pump installation, and the use of waterproof sealants.

Water infiltration is one of the most common causes of basement cracking. When not addressed, the resulting moisture can lead to mold growth, sagging drywall, and structural damage. By implementing preventive and reactive waterproofing solutions, your basement can remain dry and safe for years to come.

Bowing walls are a serious concern and a sign that your home’s structural integrity has been compromised. This issue is often caused by lateral pressure on basement or foundation walls, and it can be exacerbated by poor drainage, expansive soils, and freeze-thaw cycles. Bowing walls can cause serious structural damage and should be addressed as quickly as possible to avoid a potential collapse.

In addition to repairing the damage, a qualified professional should also inspect your basement for other signs of underlying problems. These signs can include a high water table, soil erosion, and signs of excessive moisture or mold. By addressing these issues early, you can ensure that your home’s foundation is in good condition for years to come.

Bowing Wall Repair

Bowing basement walls are a sign of significant structural damage, and they must be addressed immediately. Left unchecked, they can lead to catastrophic wall collapse and a shattered foundation. Fortunately, there are several basement repair methods that can restore bowing walls to their original load-bearing shape.

Bowing walls are typically caused by soil erosion or pressure from outside. Water-saturated soil can exert hydrostatic pressure against basement walls, and this can be even more intense if the ground freezes. Pressure can also build up from heavy driveway or patio paving elements that put additional stress on the wall, as well as from hidden plumbing leaks.

If a bowing basement wall is caught early, it can be repaired using minimally invasive methods like carbon fiber straps or wall anchors. However, if a basement wall has bowed more than 2 inches, more extensive piering or even replacement may be necessary.

It’s important to have a quality inspection conducted by a professional to identify any bowing walls and determine the best repair solution. The expert will look at the basement walls from both inside and outside the home, as well as measure them at different points to assess the extent of the bowing. A concrete contractor will also perform a pressure test on the soil to check for excess water or pressure that could be pushing against the basement walls.

The most common solution for bowing basement walls is helical tiebacks, which are long steel screw-like shafts drilled through the interior of your basement and into the soil outside your home. The shafts are then twisted until they reach a specific torque, which straightens the wall. This method is the most expensive for repairing a bowed basement wall, and you can expect to spend about $1,500 per tieback. A typical 20-foot wall will require a tieback every 5 feet, so you can expect to spend about $80 to $140 per foot for this type of basement brace.

Another option for bowed walls is to install brackets on both the interior and exterior of the wall and insert steel rods through them. The rods are then tightened to exert pressure on the wall, gradually straightening it over time. This is a more costly solution than the previous option, but it offers the benefit of being able to repair the wall without excavating the surrounding soil.

Foundation Crack Repair

Foundation cracks can cause problems such as allowing water to leak into basements and crawl spaces, which can promote mold and mildew growth. The cracks can also allow harmful soil gases such as radon to enter the living areas of the home. Sealing and repairing these cracks helps keep water and gases from entering the living area, and helps prevent structural damage.

When a non-structural crack appears, homeowners should have it repaired by professionals. A professional can use carbon fiber straps to strengthen the crack and prevent it from expanding and potentially causing further damage. This solution is cost effective and can usually be completed in one day.

For a more permanent repair, a specialist can install a wall restoration system such as EverBrace. This system is inserted into the existing foundation without requiring full excavation of the basement. The surface of the foundation wall is cleaned and prepared for bonding, and carbon fiber strips are bonded to it using high-strength epoxy resin. A second layer of epoxy is then applied over the straps to ensure a strong and durable finish.

Bowing walls are a serious issue and should be treated as soon as possible. These walls are caused by up-and-down movement of the soil around your home’s foundation. The problem is typically due to frost-heave, where the ground rises when it freezes, and then sinks when it thaws. This movement can cause your basement foundation walls to lean, bow, or shear. In most cases, a bowing basement wall can be fixed with wall plate anchors. These are installed by attaching an inside plate to the bowing basement wall, and then connecting it to an outside anchor in the dirt around your home.

A concrete support pier system is another option for fixing bowing walls. These piers are installed under the foundation of your home, and transfer the weight of your home to them. This fixes the bowing and prevents it from worsening. A repair plan will pinpoint where these supports are needed, and most of the time they are placed along the perimeter of your house. In about 10% of cases, supports may also need to be installed under the middle of your home.

What Happens to Sludge in Your Septic Tank?

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Your septic tank is designed to hold wastewater from the home for adequate time so microorganisms can decompose some of the waste. Heavy solids sink to the bottom of the tank while oils and fats float to the top. The clarified wastewater (effluent) is discharged into a soil absorption or leach field. Click the Visit Website to learn more.

Wastewater from homes flows through pipes into septic tanks buried underground. The tank provides a relatively quiet body of water that holds the wastewater long enough for solids to separate from it by both settling and flotation. Heavy solids settle to the bottom of the tank forming a layer of sludge, while oils and grease float to the top forming a layer of scum. Bacteria decompose the floating wastes. The liquid wastewater between these layers, called effluent, exits the tank through a pipe connected to a distribution box and perforated pipes that carry it to an absorption field (also known as a drain field or leach field).

The septic system is designed to break down organic waste, but some materials will still clog the pipes. If you notice sewage seepage into your home or yard, it is time to call for professional help. Other signs include gurgling in toilets and slow draining.

A septic tank should be inspected and pumped out on a regular basis by a licensed septic pumper to ensure it is operating properly. A tank that has reached its maximum capacity may start to overflow, which can cause sewage to back up into the house. It is also important to keep household products like paint, cleaning agents, dental floss, hygiene products and paper towels out of the septic system, as these can contribute to clogs and prevent wastewater from discharging properly.

The bacteria in a septic tank generate gases that must be vented to prevent a buildup of pressure that could stop or reverse the flow of wastewater from your home. The most common gas is hydrogen sulfide, which has a distinct odor similar to rotten eggs. The septic tank vent is usually a mushroom-shaped device that has a charcoal filter to reduce odors.

The wastewater leaves the septic tank through a perforated pipe connected to a distribution box, which evenly distributes the wastewater into a series of trenches in a drain field. The absorption field is partially filled with washed gravel or gravelless product that acts as a biological filter to purify the wastewater as it percolates into the soil.

Sludge

If you have a septic tank, at some point you’re going to have to deal with the sludge that forms in your tank. It may seem gross, but it’s a necessary part of septic tank maintenance. This is because your septic system depends on natural waste separation. It’s a little bit like the natural cycle of decomposition that occurs in our bodies, but on a much larger scale.

Essentially, a septic tank is a buried watertight container that holds wastewater long enough to let the solid waste settle. Oil and grease floats to the top in a layer known as scum, while soil, grit, bones, unconsumed food particles, and other organic matter sinks to the bottom forming sludge. Compartments and a T-shaped outlet prevent the sludge and scum from leaving your tank, but the clarified wastewater (effluent) that remains between the scum and sludge layers travels through the septic tank’s outlet into the drain field.

A septic tank is a complex system, and it takes time for all the organic waste to separate from wastewater. The more solids you put into your septic tank, the longer it will take for this process to complete. It’s also important that you don’t flush non-biodegradable waste items like cigarette butts, cotton buds/swabs, condoms, or menstrual hygiene products into your septic tank. These can clog pipes and cause problems for your septic tank and drain field.

When a septic tank is operating properly, beneficial bacteria residing in the sludge and scum layers break these materials down into smaller-sized substances. This liquefaction of solids happens thanks to the normal metabolic activities of these bacteria.

It’s important to keep your septic tank pumped on a regular basis. This helps to ensure that your septic tank can keep up with the volume of solids it’s storing. If you don’t pump your septic tank often enough, the sludge layer will start to fill up and reduce your septic tank’s effective volume.

If the sludge layer covers too much of your septic tank, it will stop wastewater from reaching the drain field and allow sewage to back up into your home. This can also cause pathogenic bacteria and dissolved organic pollution to seep into the environment.

Scum

The septic tank should normally have a scum layer floating on the top of the wastewater. This scum layer is primarily made of fats, oils and greases (FOG’s) that have been flushed down the drain. It may also contain other lighter discharged material such as soap scum and food particles. This layer is a clear, greenish or greyish bubbly liquid. It is not uncommon to see the odd floater or bit of paper rising up through this layer as well.

When a septic system is working as it should, beneficial bacteria work to digest the organic materials in these three separate layers of the septic tank. This activity causes the scum and sludge layers to break down and eventually be taken into the wastewater layer as a slurry of very small organic materials.

The sludge layer is the bottom of the septic tank and contains human waste, other solid waste materials, and the remains of dead bacteria. This layer can become problematic if it is allowed to build up too thickly. This can block the inlet pipe and disrupt flow to the septic system drain field.

To avoid this, it is a good idea to use septic tank treatment products regularly. These can help to reduce the amount of sludge that builds up in the tank over time. During this process, the bacteria in these products can raise the total plate count and cause the sludge and scum layers to break down faster. This can reduce the frequency of septic tank pumpouts and keep the septic system running smoothly.

A septic tank is only as effective as the bacteria that live inside of it. This bacterial community needs to be healthy in order to perform its job effectively. Chemical additions that impact the microbial community should be kept to a minimum, including household cleaners, detergents and other chemicals. If the septic tank has too much sludge or scum it can become difficult for bacteria to digest it, which can lead to problems with the septic system.

Drain Field

When liquid wastewater flows through your septic system, it leaves through a series of pipes to a septic tank drain field. The drain field is a shallow area of uncovered soil that filters untreated wastewater as it percolates through rocks, dirt and sand. The bacteria, viruses, and excess nutrients are naturally removed from the water before it returns to underground aquifers. A well-functioning septic system requires proper design, installation and maintenance. If you notice a foul smell, wet or soggy spot over the drain field or slow-to-drain bathroom or kitchen sinks, these are signs that something is wrong with your septic system, and you should contact a licensed plumber to investigate.

Solid waste deposits into your septic tank in three forms: sludge, scum and liquid (effluent) wastewater. Over time, sludge material settles to the bottom of your septic tank, while fats, oils and grease float to the top as scum. Anaerobic bacteria inside your septic tank feed on these organic wastewater pollutants. Over time, these bacteria break down the sludge and scum until they can be pumped out of the tank. Liquid effluent exits the septic tank through an inlet baffle and out of your home through a pipe to your septic system drain field.

A septic tank and drain field are designed to work together to treat household wastewater in an environmentally friendly way. Having a properly sized and located drain field ensures that effluent wastewater is efficiently absorbed into the surrounding soil without overloading it, which could cause the absorption field to clog and fail. To prevent these problems, have your septic system inspected and pumped on a regular basis, and follow basic maintenance tips.

These include limiting the amount of water you use to avoid overfilling your septic tank and drain field, and using low-flush toilets. You should also avoid driving or parking vehicles or equipment over your septic system and refrain from building structures over the absorption field. These actions can crush the pipes within your drain field and interfere with the microbiological process that breaks down the waste.