Crack Repair
Cracks in buildings are becoming an increasing concern. Cracks happen. Whether in a basement or garage, patio or sidewalk, cracks are a fact of concrete, and can alarm even the most savvy of owners. However, most concrete cracks pose no structural concern, and can be repaired, easily, quickly, and affordably.
TA Taylor's methods of repairing cracked and leaking foundations are designed to be cost-effective and reliable. And though some waterproofing companies may propose extensive repairs, the majority of TA Taylor's work is done inside the building. Our processes are quick, simple, clean and reliable.
Areas of speciality
- Polyurethane pressure injection
- Curtain wall injection
- Structural epoxy resin injection
- Water stop installation
Usage Of Epoxies And Urethane Foams To Repair Leaks
Injection epoxy resins and urethane foam systems are the two most widely used materials in the repair of leaking cracks in concrete and brickwork.
Urethane systems developed for the permanent repair of leaking cracks foam as a result of mixing and reacting with water in the crack. They should also have the capability of hardening to a flexible rubber consistency in the absence of water. They should require very little water to foam, and not to begin foaming upon immediately coming in contact with water. They need time to fill most of the crack as a thin liquid (filling tight fissures within the crack) and to be able to leak partially out the back and fill a void, if present.
Ideally, there is just enough foaming in the crack to form a tight, flexible membrane which seals the crack. The less foaming in the crack, the more stable the membrane. At the same time, it should have the capability to expand 20-30 times its initial volume behind the crack if there is a void present. The foam should also be flexible and resilient (how easy is it to poke a hole in it), and not collapsing within a couple of days.
To have all of these characteristics requires a hydrophobic foam (which needs little water and is capable to have a free rise of 20-30 times its initial volume). It needs the isocyanate/ polyol reaction to be reacting independently of the presence of water (so that a reacted rubber membrane can still form even in the absence of water). Therefore, it should be a two-component system. It should approach the flexibility and resilience of a hydrophilic urethane (but without the shrinkage associated with hydrophilic systems, which also need much water and do not sufficiently expand to be practical in filling any significant voids).
It should be understood that epoxy repair products where developed for static crack repairs, both aesthetic and structural. Epoxy systems are not flexible and do not accomodate later movement in cracks. Epoxy systems are not suitable for crack leak repairs, as a repair involves more than just stopping water leakage now. It is the permanent repair of a live structure and most accomodate future movement. Many applicators offer products for just filling cracks; TA Taylor use only products designed to be a permanent fix and that have a history to support such requirements.
Epoxy repair of a crack is typically associated with situations where structural integrity needs to be reinstated. A system repaired with epoxy will result in strengthening the overall structure. Urethane foam systems cannot accomplish strengthening without the use of carbon fiber (more on this later). Urethane foams are best suited when the only repair required is the stopping of a leak in an otherwise structurally sound structure.
Epoxies, alone, cannot solve an on-going structural problem such as when the settlement stresses are exceeding the strength of the area around the crack in question. These are circumstances that require the introduction of carbon fiber strapping or stitching (depending on the extent of the problem).
