DO It Yourself (DIY) Foundation Repair

Due to exposure to various weather elements like the rain, snow, etc., cracks and leakages in the foundation of our homes are bound to happen. They should not be neglected, and the repair work should be undertaken immediately or else it could prove to be dangerous. If you hire a professional, he will not only charge you a lot but it will also involve a lot of hassles, because of the presence of the workmen in the house for a number of days. Therefore, it is better to do it yourself. To make the DIY foundation repair successful, all you need is the right kind of tools and the patience to follow certain instructions carefully.

Foundation Leakage Repair

This is the most easiest DIY foundation repair. Firstly, the crack should be cleaned with a wire brush, and then by passing a stream of water through it, all the loosely bound particles that are present within the hairline crack can be removed. Let it dry up thoroughly. The next step is to fill up the fissure with lime-based patching material. While purchasing it, make sure that you buy the one which is suitable for a concrete surface. Prior to application to the crack, the patching material should be soaked in water. As it contains limestone, it will expand while it is drying up and fill up the cracks completely. After it has dried up, apply a finish coat of sealant on the repaired part of the foundation.

Foundation Crack Repair

There are some materials and tools that are essential, and should be with you for do it yourself foundation repair. The required tools include - two different types of trowels: one is pointing and the other one is for plastering, hammer, screw driver, chisel, wire-brush, drills, etc. The building material that is needed for this purpose are cement, sand and mortar.

To start with, cut out the loose mortar in the area around the crack with the help of a chisel. Clean up all the dust and debris that is spread around as a result of chiseling of the mortar using a wire-brush. Make a mixture of sand and cement with the proportion of one part of cement to two parts of sand. For this mortar, builder's grade sand and cement should be used to ensure better adhesion. The quantity of water used to prepare this mixture should be minimum. Another thing you should keep in mind is that the cement and sand should blend well. This is the most crucial part of DIY foundation repair, because the success of the repair work largely depends upon how well the the sand and the cement has blended with each other. Insert the mixture into the crack using the pointing trowel. Continue it along the length of the foundation where the crack has developed.

Do this task gradually and carefully. If you do it in haste, it is possible that loose air gaps are left in the crack. As a result, the desired result cannot be achieved. When the mortar is still wet, take a wooden flat surface and run it on the area where you have applied the mortar, in order to make the surface flat. Thus, the job of fixing the crack is complete. Now allow it to dry for at least two days. During this time, keep sprinkling some water on it occasionally (2 - 3 times), so that the mortar gets expanded and mends the crack properly. Once it is cured, you can apply paint on it.

Before you take up DIY foundation repair, you must ascertain the seriousness of the problem. If the condition of the foundation is quite severe or complicated, it is always advisable to take the help of a professional.