Over time, the concrete foundation of a home may begin to crack. This often occurs as the ground the home is sitting on settles and the foundation may begin to pull apart slightly. If the crack is small, it may not be a major problem to worry about. However, large cracks can be the ideal way for water to get in to flood a basement or the crawl space under your home. When heavy rains occur, water can easily get in through those large cracks and leave you with a huge mess to clean up. It is best to repair large cracks as soon as possible to prevent them from spreading further. These are the steps to take to properly repair a concrete foundation.

Remove Loose Chips

There may be loose chips of concrete around the cracked area. Be sure to removes these so you will have a smooth area to apply the concrete paste to. If there are large chips, you may need to do this with a chisel and a small sledgehammer to ensure it is removed thoroughly.

Mix the Patching Concrete 

Mix small amounts of the dry patching powder with small amounts of latex. Using latex instead of water will make the mixture adhere to the concrete foundation better. This mixture should be the consistency of thin paste so that it will spread easier. Be sure to only mix small amounts at a time so that it will not dry and harden before you are ready to spread it.

Mist the Crack and Apply the Patch Mix

Mist the crack with water to help the patching mixture seal tightly. Use a trowel to apply the patch mix evenly on the crack. Apply an even coat on the entire crack. Mix more patching mix as you need it to ensure the crack is covered completely.

Scrape Away Excess Patch Mix 

When the concrete patch mix has dried, it may not have a completely smooth finish. You can scrape away any uneven spots of concrete with a trowel as long as the area over the crack is not disturbed. This can also be painted over to make the patched area less noticeable.

If the patching is done correctly, this should prevent any leaks into your basement or under your home for several years. It is a good idea to check these areas each time a heavy rain occurs to make sure the patch mix is still preventing leaks. If you need to do this again in the future, you will first need to scrape off the existing patching mix.

Contact a construction company, such as Abalon Construction, for help with foundation repairs like this.