Originally Posted By: jmichalski This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I came across this todady in a 5 year old house. The crack did leak previously (as the white residue on the wall and remaining mud stain on the floor indicate).
Originally Posted By: psabados This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Epoxy injection into the crack. Should be a warranty coverage on the repair. Depending upon the company and materials used anywhere from 10 - 25 years.
Originally Posted By: jmichalski This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Thanks Paul! Clearly, this is my first encounter with an epoxy application.
Good link, I haven't heard "Wipeout " in years. Is it still appropriate to recommend evaluation by a SE? Or would a warrantied application be sufficient?
Originally Posted By: jpope This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
That’s a pretty standard fix Joseph. A deferment to an SE may be a bit over the top unless there was new damage or the epoxy was showing signs of failure.
Originally Posted By: jmichalski This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Thanks Joe & Jeff.
I wasn't sure the extent to which it is an accepted fix, and the buyer is a little nervous about a lot of things with this house, but this more than the others, so I have to be sure.
I will try the link you posted Joe to see what I can dig up....
Originally Posted By: aslimack This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
You see that around here alot, only without the nails sticking out of it. With the reason for the repair being to stop seepage, why would someone pay to have it sealed, only to start poking holes in it?
Here, the cost ranges from approx. $200.00 for a 5 yr. warranty, to $500.00 for the lifetime warranty. Sometimes the repair is covered with a thin piece of white fiberglass, attached around the perimeter sides. The only difference i can see in the $200 and $500 repairs is the warranty.
I imagine any warranty on the repair pictured would be void after someone intentually poked holes in it.
Originally Posted By: aslimack This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I should of added that i don’t consider it a problem structurally unless i see displacement or movement since the repair. I’ve never seen this application used for anything other than vertical cracks for the purpose of stopping seepage.
Originally Posted By: jmichalski This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Thanks for the info, Adam.
Quote:
intentually?
I figured you had earned some poetic license. In fact, you should copyright it and start using it all the time...maybe to mean "intending to do eventually". 
Originally Posted By: aslimack This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Repeat after me…My name is Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire, i own a mansion unt a yacht… My name is Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire, i own a mansion unt a yacht…
Originally Posted By: mkober This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Joseph,
As mentioned by others, epoxy injection is frequently used as a repair medium for cracks in concrete. It can be used for both structural repairs and cosmetic repairs. The surface epoxy visible is actually an epoxy sealing gel, placed over the entire run of crack after the injection ports (usually flexible plastic tubes) are set, to prevent surface seepage of the injected, very low viscosity epoxy material. The nails are placed sequentially to plug the ports as the nozzle operator proceeds, usually from bottom to top along a vertical crack. This procedure is actually "old" technology, requiring the use of a vacuum-swivel chuck for drilling the injection port holes to avoid impacting the crack interior with drilling tailings--a far better technique involves simply placing temporary tape strips across the crack before applying sealing gel, then tearing off the tape and injecting epoxy using a rubber-tipped injection nozzle, followed by a quick swipe with a wax block to seal the opening. There are many things to look for in a repaired concrete member, but you don't necessarily have to defer to an engineer--an experienced concrete repair contractor, if available, could be just as enlightening if there is any doubt as to the effectiveness of the repair. The second picture looks like another vertical crack is present (to the left of the sealed crack), which would indicate that the wall is still subject to the forces that caused the initial cracking; this in itself would warrant further evaluation by a qualified engineer to determine exactly what is causing the wall to fail (i.e., missing or misplaced reinforcing steel, excessive lateral forces resulting from saturated backfill, weak concrete etc.). I've monitored many heavy civil concrete repair contracts working with a number of different epoxy injection contractors, and have observed properly-performed epoxy injection repairs far outnumber repairs that fail to perform satisfactorily.
Originally Posted By: dvalley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Joe,
Do you have a landscape shot of that crack? (A wider version)
It appears that the particular crack has been worked on more than once. In the 2nd pic, I can see a faded area on both sides of that crack that appears to be at least 6" wide total. Not only that, the crack continues to the floor area and takes a serious horizontally turn.
I was hoping you have a broader pic. I think you made the right decision as to recommending a SE. This particular crack has issues.
What's up with that writing on the wall? "Army" is written on top and the numbers seem to coincide with every injection area right down to the bottom.
Do the Sellers have paperwork that details and warranties this fix?
I'm not sure it turns horizonatally, although it may. Most of the horizontal was effloresence and water stains as I recall, but now you have me wondering.... it is hard to see more with the shadows...
I have no clue what the writing was all about. it didn't seem to correspond to anything as far as I could tell. it wasn't a number sequence
(3, 4, 5, 10, 12..?)
I am curious to know the outcome since this is the exterior view of the window at the top of the crack....
Originally Posted By: dvalley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
If you look at pic #2, the efflorescence starts at the top of the crack. Follow this efflorescence staining line to the floor area. The efflorescence staining turns as if it follows a crack. If this was efflorescence from the floor flooding, the stain would be past that cracked area and it?s not.
Nice Mitigation...I see they had excessive Radon in that basement also. Nice house so far!
Originally Posted By: jmichalski This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
And for only $685K it can be yours!
I see what you are saying about the trail. I noticed it, but I did not recall a crack there, but it does make sense. Makes me feel better and better about the SE call.