The basement walls are different from the other structural walls as the mason constructs them differently. Cracks form on basement walls for several reasons, and you must fix them before it gets severe. Hence you need to know how to repair basement walls crumbling.
Types of Basement Walls
First things first. Let’s see some of the main basement walls types.
Poured concrete basement wall
This is the best preferred among the types of basement walls. First, you must run the concrete into the foundation of the basement. Once dried, you have to place the foam, which will support the concrete walls, and then the concrete for making the wall is poured. Wear and tear are less in these types of fences. The main difficulty is that the plumbing system is inside the concrete, and for any plumbing repair, you might have to break the slabs.
Masonry Basement Wall
These are a good option if you cannot afford much on the basement walls. Masonry basement walls require less cost compared to the other types of walls. The durability of the wall is relatively minor, but you can construct this type of basement wall in a smaller period.
Basement Precast Panels
Basement Precast panels are portable to the required location as the constructor’s mold these walls earlier in some other places and take them to the site where the construction happens; this work is quite similar to the poured concrete basement walls. There are wide varieties of precast panel basement walls as they come in different colors and textures.
These are the three primary types of basement walls. This article will also teach how to repair basement walls crumbling and why they crack.
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Why Do Basement Walls Crumble?
It is essential to know why basement walls crumble as you take preventive measures to avoid them.
- When the walls get exposed to bad weather, there are tendencies for the formation of cracks.
- When you build the walls without properly drying the basement, there are possibilities for wall crumbling.
- Exposure of the basement walls to constraint rain results crumbling of walls.
- A weak concrete mixture used to make the walls can lead the walls to crumble.
- Exposure of the walls to CO2 and H2O results in carbonization, which may crack the walls.
- During the finishing process of the basement wall, if you use an excessive amount of water, that may cause the walls to crack.
Leaky walls, plumbing leaks, mold and mildew, clogged gutters, improperly sealed windows and doors, and flooding will also cause wall crumbling.
How to Repair Basement Walls Crumbling?
- Remove all the loose concrete off the wall using a wire brush. Make sure the wire brush is attached to the pole. And brush the walls vertically and horizontally to remove all the loose concrete. We do this process to make the walls durable without cracking. If we avoid this step, there are more possibilities for the wall to break again.
Instead of a wire brush, you can also use a power washer and wet vac and wash the walls, but this process is messy and will make the task time consuming; hence you use a wire brush to remove all the loose concrete.
- The next step is to waterproof the walls. Apply the water-based epoxy basement waterproofing, which plays a bonding agent’s role. The water-based epoxy basement waterproofing will penetrate through the walls mixing with a powder that helps resurface the walls; However, it does not cure all the wall damage. It will provide the best solution for the cracks.
- Prepare a mixture of water-based epoxy and concrete. Apply a thin layer of this mixture to the walls to complete the process. When the motor is loose-fill it apply on all the narrow cracks and apply it to the thick damages when it gets hard. Add more of this mixture to avoid the visibility of the damages.
- Finally, apply some water-based epoxy to get a clean and pleasant look on the surface.
How to Fix Vertical Cracks In the Wall?
Clean the wall properly and brush it to remove all the loose materials. Using a vacuum cleaner, vacuum the wall to remove all the dirt inside the crack. Now apply the filler and cover the wall.
It would be best if you spread the stuffing to fill the gaps. The amount of filler consumption depends on the depth of the crack. This is how you can quickly fix vertical cracks on your wall.
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Why You Should Fix Basement Wall Crumbling?
You might now know why the walls crumble and how to repair basement walls crumbling. It is also essential to understand why you must fix the wall crumbles. You must correct the wall crumbles as they worsen if you neglect to notice.
The crumbles will spread, and the walls will get damaged if you don’t make the necessary repair on time. Hence to protect the durability of the walls, you must fix the wall crumbling on time.
The Safety Measures You Must Take When Fixing Wall Crumbling
Wear a mask to avoid inhaling chemicals that you use while repairing the wall crumbling. Also, make sure you wear a glove. If you touch the mixture of water-based epoxy and concrete will damage the skin causing dry skin, skin peeling off or irritation, and allergies.
The Benefits of Having a Healthy Wall
Healthy walls prevent the house from volatile organic compounds released to the environment from plants. The house will have a good look if the walls are healthy. Damaged walls make the home look weak and make the wall vulnerable. Hence you have a beneficial fence, and the durability of the walls will also be more. Healthy walls make the cleaning process easy as they don’t have any patches, cracks, or crumbles.
In contrast, it is hard to clean walls with crumble as the paint peels off and it looks dusty. The healthy walls have a smooth texture. A good wall will also prevent noise pollution; especially if you build the living room walls with good quality, it can purify the air.
We hope this article on repairing basement walls crumbling provided some knowledge regarding wall crumbling and the solution for it.
