Loading…
28
Foundation crack repair guy quoted $4500, I fixed it with $12 worth of hydraulic cement
Had a crack in my basement wall that was letting water in during heavy rain. Called a contractor who said I needed full wall reinforcement. I asked around and a buddy who does concrete finishing told me to just chip out the loose stuff and pack in some hydraulic cement from Home Depot. Did it last Saturday, took maybe 2 hours. Waited through two big storms this week and bone dry. Did I get lucky or is this normal for small cracks?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
king.lisa1mo ago
Buddy of mine did the same thing and his basement has been dry for three years now.
9
wren_rodriguez1mo ago
Look man, my uncle's a structural engineer and he'd lose his mind reading this. That $4500 quote probably wasn't just for patching a crack. They were likely quoting for what they could see from the inside which is never the full story. Hydraulic cement is great for stopping water in a pinch but it doesn't fix whatever caused the crack in the first place. Settling soil, hydrostatic pressure against the wall, bad drainage outside - the crack is a symptom not the problem. I've seen guys slap cement on a crack only to have it fail six months later when the ground shifts again and opens up a new one six inches away. You might be dry now but I wouldnt call it fixed.
9