If your home has a basement, chances are you have a crack in the foundation, through which water will leak eventually. Even if an existing crack has not yet leaked, over time, the likelihood that water will permeate the crack increases greatly, thanks to the combined effects of thermal movement, drying shrinkage, and other environmental stresses. Although a crack might seem minor or small, it can grow much larger and cause water to leak inside or even result in the loss of structural integrity of the foundation.
(630) 777-0539
Lifetime Warranty!
Reliable Basement Services has sucessfully repaired 1000's of basement cracks over the years, with 100% success. Our skilled professionals can fix these cracks permanently using High-pressure injection of epoxy or polyurethane foam repair materials, without the need for disruptive excavation. Crack injection has been used successfully to repair foundation cracks for many years.
Finished Basement?
No problem... our skilled professionals are multi talented, below is our process when you have a finished basement.
1. We will locate the crack and remove only the drywall in that area.
2. We will repair the crack and replace with new drywall.
OR we can seal the crack from the exterior by... digging down to the footing, sealing the crack with a waterproof membrane and adding insulation then back filling. Not interrupting your finished living space.
You will never know that we worked on the area, and it's all done for about the same cost as our competitors charge just to repair the crack. When choosing Reliable Basement Services there is no need to hire two contractors to complete one project. Your satisfaction... guaranteed!
Epoxy or Polyurethane Injection?
So which material is better for repairing concrete cracks: epoxy or polyurethane foam? The answer isn't always clear-cut. In many cases, either material can accomplish the task. But here are some general guidelines: If the crack needs to be structurally repaired and the area needs to be as strong or stronger than the concrete around it, use an epoxy. If the crack needs to be repaired only to prevent water leakage or the crack is actively leaking, a polyurethane is the best choice. Here's a look at the advantages and limitations of each material.
Epoxies
The main advantage of epoxies is their amazing compressive strength, which at 12,000 psi or greater exceeds that of most concrete. That's why epoxies are the only choice for cracksrequiring structural repair. However, epoxies cure very slowly, generally taking hours to harden, so it's possible for the epoxy to flow out of the backside of the crack before it has hardened, mostly if the backfill outside the wall has separated from the foundation.
Polyurethanes
If the main concern is water leaking into the basement, polyurethane foams should be used. These elastomeric, fast-setting foams are most effective for applications involving only crack sealing (waterproofing) and not structural repair. It's expansion factor will allow the material into even the smallest crevices. Because of their elastomeric nature, they are able to accommodate slight concrete movement so the seal stays intact. They also begin to harden and foam within minutes of injection. This reduces the chances of the material flowing out of an injected crack while still in liquid form, and even if some does leak out, the foam will fill the void. Urethanes are great for basic foundation crack filling. They add almost zero compressive strength, but in most residential applications, you do not need it.
Avoid Superficial Repairs
Many homeowners may be tempted to use caulk or hydraulic cement to patch concrete cracks. Caulk is superficial and will allow water to continue seeping behind the patch material, resulting in efflorescence, and eventually the caulk will peel off exposing an enlarged crack due to freezing and erosion. Hydraulic cement does not bond well, also leading to efflorescence. Eventually, the water seepage will dislodge the cement plug.
Reliable Basement Services has nearly a 100 percent success rate for crack repair work, and offer a lifetime warranty for the injection repairs because we are confident in the manufacturers dedication to improving the materials and techniques offered, and the training of our staff.
Injection products create a win-win situation for Reliable Basement Services and you the homeowner. We can reliably fix an inconvenience, while saving you thousands of dollars for more extensive repair work and avoiding the inconvenience of excavation.
Avoid DYI basement crack repair kits if possible, there are no money back guarantees with foundation crack repair kits, if the repair doesn't work you have thrown money away. Also when selling the home new homowners want warranties for the work that was done.
Cracks Fixed For Life
(630)777-0539
Lifetime Warranty!
Trained & Skilled Professionals!
Call Today! (630) 777-0539
How to Evaluate and Diagnose Foundation Cracks
Shrinkage cracks are usually uniform in width or (less common) vee-shaped, wider at top and diminishing or stopping before reaching the bottom of the foundation wall (where attachment to footing may tend to hold foundation wall materials in place). A wall crack which continues into the floor is likely to involve the building footings and may be a settlement crack of more structural importance.
Concrete shrinks as it cures. In poured concrete, shrinkage cracks may be non-uniform if wall components are held by footings/framing; very often there are minor shrinkage cracks which are hairline, random, intermittent, multiple, and meandering in the concrete, forming discontinuous cracks in the wall. Shrinkage cracks occur as concrete cures, appearing more frequently and larger if the mix was improper and where control joints were omitted. Omission or pattern of placement of steel reinforcement may also be a factor in crack formation and location.
Poured concrete shrinkage cracks: usually shrinkage cracking is due to conditions at original construction: poor mix, rapid curing, possibly other conditions. Shrinkage cracks are less likely to require structural monitoring and repair in poured concrete as they would be expected to continue after initial curing.
Concrete block foundation walls shrink as they cure. They rarely expand much on exposure to moisture and temperature variations. In concrete block walls shrinkage cracks are likely to be uniform in width and usually occur towards the center of a concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall. The wall is stronger at the building corners.
Brick walls do not normally shrink, but rather, grow indefinitely. Bricks are not often used for below-grade foundations but were often used above-grade supporting the first floor of older buildings, and of course entire buildings may be constructed using structural brick walls (look for the bond courses). If you see a crack in a brick wall it's more likely due to movement in the structure, a support problem, or due to thermal expansion. Cracks in structural brick walls may be very serious if the bond courses are broken as there is then a risk of sudden catastrophic wall collapse. Cracks and especially bulged cracked brick walls need immediate expert investigation.
Stone foundation walls do not normally crack through individual stones, but the interlaced stone layout of the wall may be bulged and cracked due to damage from frost, loading from driving vehicles near the wall, or by the removal of stones to pass piping or make doorways. As with other cases of foundation movement, a diagnosis of the cause, amount of movement, and effects on structure are needed to decide what repair may be needed.
Clues to help diagnose the probable cause of diagonal foundation cracks in buildings: From corner towards adjacent opening, wider at top than bottom - often due to foundation settlement, expansive clay soil, frost damage, or damage from a shrub/tree close to the foundation wall. Under a ground floor window, from sill to ground, sill bowed up - often due to foundation heave, clay soil, frost, shallow or absent footings In the foundation wall anywhere, wider at bottom than top - settlement under building At building corners in cold climates - frost heave, frost lensing, shallow footings, water problem, or insufficient backfill. In a typical raised ranch with a garage located in part of the basement, and with the garage entering at one end of a home, we often find step cracks in the front and rear foundation walls only on the garage-end of the home. These cracks may correspond to some related observations: (1) there may be less backfill against the front and rear foundation walls where a garage entry is located between them; (2) the reduction in backfill combined with an un-heated garage may expose these building corners to more frost damage; (3) if a building downspout or gutter defect spills roof drainage against the building wall, these forces will often combine to make more severe frost cracks appear on the garage-entry end of the home. Vertical or diagonal crack which over a short time - settlement over sink holes- serious, open suddenly after rain; or ravines, mulch, fill, organic debris (later rots and settles). Over window/door, straight or diagonal - loading/header defect - may appear as horizontal along top or bottom of header, vertical at ends of header (possibly due to differences in thermal expansion of different materials of header vs. wall) or vertical/diagonal at center of header (loading failure) or at corners (possible point-load failure) Cracks in a poured concrete foundation which are diagonal or vertical and which are generally uniform in width, or which taper to an irregular hairline form, usually in fact a discontinuous crack in the hairline area, are usually shrinkage cracks and should not be ongoing nor of structural significance, though they may invite water entry through the wall.
Horizontal Foundation Cracks Located High on a Foundation Wall Horizontal foundation cracks located in the upper third of a concrete block wall (presuming most of the wall is below grade) are most likely to have been caused by vehicle loading or in freezing climates, by surface and subsurface water combined with frost. In northern climates if we see cracked mortar joints in the top third of a block wall, at about the same depth as the frost line in that area the damage is almost certainly due to frost. Often outside we'll find corroborating evidence such as drip lines below the building eaves confirming a history of roof spillage against the building, and back inside we may see that the foundation damage is occurring only at the building walls below roof eaves and not at the gable ends of the home.Cold climates- frost, possible displacement inwards Possible vehicle loading, displacement inwards.
Horizontal Foundation CracksLocated at Mid-wall Height on a Foundation Masonry block or stone walls which are cracked and/or bulging inwards at mid height on the wall are likely to have been damaged by vehicle traffic or earth loading.Possible vehicle loading (look for a driveway near the wall or site history involving movement of heavy equipment near the wall) Backfill damage - excessive height or premature backfill before the first floor framing was in place. Hillsides - earth loading or earth loading exacerbated by water or frost Areas of wet soils - likely to be earth-loading or earth loading exacerbated by water or frost.
Horizontal Foundation Cracks Located Low on a Foundation Wall The forces exerted by soils against a foundation wall increase geometrically as we move from surface level of the soil against the wall to the areas near the bottom of the wall. In other words, earth pressure is greatest at the bottom of the wall. This fact helps us distinguish between frost or water-related cracking and simple earth loading in some cases since a wall which has become dislocated laterally only at or near its bottom is likely to have been damaged by earth load ing.Earth Loading, especially if in an area of dense or wet soils Horizontal dislocation of a masonry block or brick wall may appear first as a crack and then later as horizontal movement as a wall is pushed inwards by earth or wet soil pressure.
Cracks in a poured concrete foundation which are diagonal or vertical and which are generally uniform in width, or which taper to an irregular hairline form and stop entirely, which are usually discontinuous in the crack's finest or hairline area (the crack "stops and starts" in the same area), are usually shrinkage cracks and should not be ongoing nor of structural significance, though they may invite water entry through the wall.
We are Proudly Serving the Following Communities and Counties
Basement Crack Repair Addison IL Foundation Crack Repair Bensenville IL Basement Crack Repair Bloomingdale IL Foundation Crack Repair Burr ridge IL Basement Crack Repair Carol Stream IL Foundation Crack Repair Clarendon Hills IL Basement Crack Repair Darien IL Foundation Crack Repair Downers Grove IL Basement Crack Repair Elmhurst IL Foundation Crack Repair Glen Ellyn IL Basement Crack Repair Glendale Heights IL Foundation Crack Repair Hanover Park IL Basement Crack Repair install Hinsdale IL Foundation Crack Repair Itasca IL Basement crack Repair Lisle IL Foundation Crack Repair Lombard IL Basement Crack Repair Oak Brook IL Foundation Crack Repair Oak Brook Terrace IL Basement Crack Repair Roselle IL Foundation Crack Repair Villa Park IL Basement Crack Repair Warrenville IL Foundation Crack Repair Wayne IL Basement Crack Repair West Chicago IL Foundation Crack Repair Westmont IL Foundation Crack Repair Wheaton IL Basement Crack Repair Willowbrook IL Foundation Crack Repair Winfield IL Basement Crack Repair Wood Dale IL Foundation Crack Repair Woodridge IL Basement Crack Repair Aurora IL Foundation Crack Repair Batavia IL Basement Crack Repair Burlington IL Foundation Crack Repair Crampton Hills IL Basement Crack Repair Elburn IL Foundation Crack Repair Elgin IL Basement Crack Repair Geneva IL Foundation Crack Repair Gilberts IL Foundation Crack Repair Hampshire IL Basement Crack Repair Kaneville IL Foundation Crack Repair Hampshire IL Basement Crack Repair Kaneville IL Foundation crack Repair Lily Lake IL Basement crack Repair Maple Park IL Foundation Crack Repair Montgomery IL Basement Crack Repair North Aurora IL Foundation Crack Repair St Charles IL Basement Crack Repair Sugar Grove IL Foundation Crack Repair Millbrook IL Basement Crack Repair Millington IL Foundation Crack Repair Newark IL Basement Crack repair Oswego IL Foundation Crack Repair Plano IL Basement Crack Repair Plattville IL Foundation Crack Repair Yorkville IL Basement Crack Repair Bolingbrook IL Foundation Crack Repair Braidwood IL Basement Crack Repair Channahon IL Foundation Crack Repair Crest Hill IL Basement Crack Repair Crete IL Foundation Crack Repair Frankfort IL Basement Crack Repair Foundation Crack Repair Godley IL Basement Crack Repair Homer Glen IL Foundation Crack Repair Joliet IL Basement Crack Repair Lockport IL Foundation Crack Repair Manhattan IL Basement Crack Repair Mokena IL Foundation Crack Repair Monee IL Basement Crack Repair New Lenox IL Foundation Crack Repair Plainfield IL Basement crack Repair Rockdale IL Foundation Crack Repair Romeoville IL Basement Crack Repair Shorewood IL Foundation Crack Repair Symerton IL Basement crack Repair Wilmington IL Foundation Crack Repair Alsip IL Basement Crack Repair Arlington Heights IL Foundation Crack Repair Bartlett IL Basement Crack Repair Bedford Park IL Foundation Crack Repair Belwood IL Basement Crack Repair Berkeley IL Foundation Crack Repair Berwyn IL Basement Crack Repair Bridgeview IL Foundation Crack Repair Broadview IL Basement Crack Repair Brookfield IL Foundation Crack Repair Buffalo Grove IL Basement Crack Repair Chicago IL Foundation Crack Repair Chicago Heights IL Basement Crack Repair Chicago Ridge IL Foundation Crack Repair Cicero IL Basement Crack Repair Country Club Hills Il Foundation Crack Repair Countryside IL Basement Crack Repair Crestwood IL Foundation Crack Repair Des Plaines IL Basement Crack Repair Elk Grove Village IL Foundation Crack Repair Elmwood Park IL Basement crack Repair Forest Park IL Foundation Crack Repair Franklin Park IL Basement Crack Repair Harwood Heights IL Foundation Crack Repair Hazel Crest IL Basement Crack Repair Hickory Hills IL Foundation Crack Repair Hillside IL Basement Crack Repair Hodgkins IL Foundation Crack Repair Hoffman Estates IL Basement Crack Repair La Grange IL Foundation Crack Repair La Grange Park IL Basement Crack Repair Lemont IL Foundation Crack Repair Maywood IL Basement Crack Repair Melrose Park IL Foundation Crack Repair Mount Prospect IL Basement Crack Repair North Riverside IL Foundation Crack Repair Northlake IL Basement Crack Repair Oak Forest IL Foundation Crack Repair Oak Park IL Basement Crack Repair Oak Lawn IL Foundation Crack Repair Olympia Fields IL Basement Crack Repair Orland Hills IL Foundation Crack Repair Orland Park IL Basement Crack Repair Palos Heights IL Foundation Crack Repair Palos Hills IL Basement Crack Repair Palos Park IL Foundation Crack Repair River forest IL Basement Crack Repair River Grove IL Foundation Crack Repair Riverside IL Basement crack Repair Schaumburg IL Foundation Crack Repair Stickney IL Basement Crack Repair Stone Park IL Foundation Crack Repair Streamwood IL Basement Crack Repair Summit IL Foundation Crack Repair Tinley Park IL Basement Crack Repair Westchester IL Foundation Crack Repair Western Springs IL Basement Crack Repair Willow Springs IL Foundation Crack Repair LaSalle IL Basement Crack Repair Peru IL Foundation Crack Repair Spring Valley IL Basement crack Repair Mendota IL Foundation crack Repair Morris IL Basement crack Repair Marelilles IL, Basement Crack Repair Dekalb IL Foundation Crack Repair Sandwich IL Foundation Crack Repair Algonquin IL Foundation Crack Repair Lake in the Hills IL Basement Crack Repair Barrington IL Foundation Crack Repair Carpentersville IL Basement crack Repair Dundee IL Foundation crack Repair Elgin IL Basement Crack Repair Schaumburg IL Foundation Crack Repair Arlington Heights IL Basement Crack Repair Lake Zurich IL Foundation Crack Repair Palatine IL Basement Crack Repair Roselle IL Basement Crack Repair Mt Prospect IL Foundation Crack Repair Elk Grove IL Basement Crack Repair Des Plaines IL Foundation Crack Repair Wheeling IL Basement Crack Repair Buffalo Grove IL Foundation Crack Repair Park Ridge IL Basement Crack Repair Glenview IL Foundation Crack Repair North Brook IL Basement Crack Repair Glenco IL Foundation Crack Repair Skokie IL Basement Crack Repair Lincolnwood IL Foundation crack Repair Wilmett IL
If your home has a basement, chances are you have a crack in the foundation, through which water will leak eventually. Even if an existing crack has not yet leaked, over time, the likelihood that water will permeate the crack increases greatly, thanks to the combined effects of thermal movement, drying shrinkage, and other environmental stresses. Although a crack might seem minor or small, it can grow much larger and cause water to leak inside or even result in the loss of structural integrity of the foundation.
Lifetime Warranty!
Reliable Basement Services has sucessfully repaired 1000's of basement cracks over the years, with 100% success. Our skilled professionals can fix these cracks permanently using High-pressure injection of epoxy or polyurethane foam repair materials, without the need for disruptive excavation. Crack injection has been used successfully to repair foundation cracks for many years. 
Lifetime Warranty!
Trained & Skilled Professionals!
Call Today! (630) 777-0539
