Basement Floor Crack Repair
Simple Steps To Stopping Floor Cracks From Leaking
Water building up around your foundation will enter the basement through any opening it can, including cracks in your basement floor.
This problem can be solved with a sump pump and drain system. This will collect the water, sending it away through a buried discharge line in your yard.
The Problem:
Water is flooding into your basement through cracks in the concrete floor.
Why Do Floor Cracks Leak?
When your basement was built, the hard-packed soil was excavated to make space for the structure. Any extra space left outside of your walls was backfilled with some of this soil -- now loose and "fluffed". The space under the floor was also filled in to make a level surface.
This loose soil around your walls and under your floor absorbs and holds more water than the hard-packed soil around it. When it rains, the water builds up, entering your home wherever it can, including through cracks in the floor.
How We Fix It:
A perimeter drain system and sump pump is usually enough to collect this water and drain it away. In more extreme situations, we will also run a lateral drain from the crack to your perimeter system.
No matter what kind of basement walls and floor you have, we can dry your basement! Call us for a free wet basement repair estimate!
When Is A Lateral Line Needed To Repair Leaking Floor Cracks?
More often than not, a sump pump and perimeter drain system is all you need to address floor crack leaking. The sump pump pit will extend deeper than the floor, and it will pump out most flooding water before it rises as high as your floor. Additionally, the drain system will collect water that's flooding down your foundation, also protecting your floor.
However, there are some situations where a crack is extremely large, unique soil conditions exist, or unusually heavy water volumes exist, and the crack floods anyways. In these cases, running a drainage line from the crack to your perimeter drain system will solve your problem.
Why Should I Fix Leaking Floor Cracks?
Leaking basement floor cracks can create damp spots and pudding in various places on your basement floor. This moisture can cause cosmetic damage and encourage the growth of mold and rot on any organic materials resting on the floor -- including wood, cardboard, and cloth. They can also ruin carpets and cause rusting of metal.
Floor cracks will also become a continual source of humidity in your basement. A humid basement will grow mold and rot, cause rust on tools and pipes, and help to create that "musty basement" smell that makes everything stored in the basement smell unpleasant.
Basement Systems dealers have solved issues with flooded basements of all types! Here's just a few examples of leaking floor cracks our experts have repaired over the years:
(Click each photo to enlarge.)
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Steps To Repair Leaking Floor Cracks
In most cases, your local Basement Systems Dealer will be able to install your complete waterproofing system in one, perhaps two days. Our crews of certified waterproofing experts work exclusively in basements and crawl spaces, and they have the long-term experience needed to install your system quickly and effectively.
To repair a leaking floor crack, we complete the following three steps:
Install A Sump Pump & Floor Drain
A sump pump pit is created at the low point in the basement floor, and a cast-iron Zoeller sump pump is installed in a durable plastic liner.
The perimeter of your concrete floor is also jackhammered, and a drainage trench is created. A layer of clean gravel is laid down at the bottom of the trench, and the drain is placed on top. More gravel is then laid on top.
Out drain is pitched downwards to the sump pump, using gravity to direct the water. A wall flange is also included in the design, extending upwards to collect water from the basement walls while preventing dirt from the basement floor from falling into the drain.
More about our basement drain systems
Install A Lateral Drain Channel
For floor cracks that leak heavily, your local dealer will probably recommend a lateral line (or "lateral drain") be installed.
This consists of a pipe that's installed underneath the floor from the crack to your perimeter drain system. It's positioned in a trench created in the floor and sloped downwards to the perimeter system, so the water drains naturally.
Lateral drains will only be needed in cases of heavy basement flooding -- and even then, the lateral line should only be needed for the most serious cracks in the concrete floor.
More about Drain Pipe Installation
Restore The Concrete Slab
At Basement Systems, are dealers are proud to leave each completed job looking clean, neat, and professional. Our goal is to leave your basement looking even better than it did when we first arrived!
During the installation, we'll take care of the disposal of any jackhammered concrete or debris created during the installation. We also carefully restore all jackhammered sections of the floor with fresh concrete.
In the end, your concrete slab will be completely restored, with no ugly gap along the edge of your floor. Our full-perimeter drainage system also includes a written warranty that is transferable to the next homeowner if you ever sell the house.
More about our What To Expect From Us
We Can Repair Your Flooding Basement Floor!
We specialize in providing effective, common-sense solutions repairing groundwater flooding issues of all kinds. Our basement services have been provided to tens of thousands of homes throughout the United States and Canada for well over 20 years, and we know they can work for you too.
Contact us today by phone or e-mail for your free, written waterproofing estimate! Each free estimate includes an on-site inspection and consultation, a written cost estimate, and a copy of our full-color basement waterproofing book!
Looking for a price? Get a no cost, no obligation free estimate.