Crack in the wall: a threat to the entire house or a small defect. Has a brick wall cracked in your house? There is a solution! Why masonry is cracking

Olga, Yekaterinburg asks a question:

Good afternoon! I have lived in an apartment all my life, but I always dreamed of having my own house with a large plot of land. Six months ago I decided to make my dream come true. Over the course of several months, I reviewed a lot of houses, but only one fell to my liking. I liked everything: price, layout, location, design, large and beautiful garden next to the house. Already even gave a deposit and asked the owner of the house to prepare it for sale. Brought a friend to see the house. He immediately drew attention to the presence of cracks in the house (I didn’t even notice them right away) and began to dissuade me from buying. If the wall of a brick house cracked, is it a serious problem? How much does it cost to remove it? Or is it better to refrain from buying this house altogether?

The expert answers:

The appearance of cracks in the wall of a brick house is an alarm signal that indicates the occurrence of a pre-emergency situation. The crack usually becomes noticeable when its width reaches 5 mm. Cracks in the wall not only spoil the appearance of the house, but also conduct moisture and cold into the house. When freezing, water that gets inside the wall leads to even more destruction.

If cracks are found, the causes of this phenomenon should be immediately established. If you yourself are not a specialist in the field of construction, then you should seek the help of professionals. It is very difficult to detect cracks in a house when a facade system is laid during construction, which covers the outer surface of the brickwork.

The most dangerous are through cracks, which become visible not only outside the house, but also inside.

The main reason for the appearance of cracks in a brick house is the uneven shrinkage of the foundation. This can happen due to unreliable or incomplete engineering and geological surveys, violations of technology during the construction of the foundation, improper operation of engineering structures.

The wall of a brick house can crack due to the appearance of groundwater on the site, which has changed its course, due to the appearance of new buildings that have arisen on their way. This can happen when a large plot is built up, and engineering surveys are not carried out throughout the entire territory, but for each plot of land separately. Thus, it is very difficult to predict the direction of groundwater movement.

Oblique cracks in a brick wall usually run diagonally along window openings. The reason for their appearance is a different level of subsidence of the soil under the base of the house. This is due to the different bearing capacity of soils or due to the formation of caverns. Horizontal cracks occur mainly above window openings. The reason for their appearance is the bending of the overhead or beam ceiling. Vertical cracks in a brick wall appear at the junctions if no expansion joint was made during construction. Arc-shaped horizontal cracks occur due to too much weight of the floors.

From all this, we can conclude that the main causes of the defect are mainly due to errors in the calculations when planning the construction of the house and due to non-compliance with construction technology. If the damage is too severe, then a complete re-laying of the wall may be necessary.

To understand how to proceed if the wall cracked, you need to determine whether the force continues to act, which causes defects to appear on the structure of the house. To do this, cracks in various places are measured and monitored for changes in their size over several months. If there are no changes, then this means that the shrinkage of the house has ended. The problem in this case will help to solve the use of heat-insulating materials that are used for sealing. After that, the wall is plastered or partially disassembled and the masonry is replaced.

In any case, it should be remembered that the elimination of such problems requires the involvement of specialists and high material costs. If the measures to eliminate the problem did not produce the desired effect, then the foundation will have to be strengthened. Most often, inclined piles are installed for this, which are brought under the foundation to reduce the load on the ground. After the causes of shrinkage are eliminated, the damaged brick wall is sealed to the full depth.

Many people know the expression of the famous poetess Faina Ranevskaya that in a few years life gives cracks that will grow over time if they are not patched up in time. So it is with a residential building, if a split or a small crack appears on the load-bearing wall, then it is urgently necessary to address this problem.

First of all, it is necessary to consult with a professional builder, because a person who does not even have a minimum level of knowledge in the field of building and repairing a foundation will find it very difficult to understand how to get rid of this problem once and for all.

Why does brick crack how to repair cracks in a brick wall similar brickwork? These questions need to be considered from many angles. So let's get started.

Types and causes of crack formation

Today, construction companies offer a revolutionary, strong and durable Portland cement, which has revolutionized the building materials industry. It is distinguished not only by its durability, but also by the instantaneous hardening rate, which, perhaps, is its main advantage among competitors in the field of strengthening materials.

All experienced builders know that immediately after construction, the building does not immediately firmly and for a long time take its place in the main foundation, this process takes about five to ten years, and the cement mortar, on the contrary, very quickly gains its strength. Such a very large difference between the time of subsidence and settlement of the house can lead to the appearance of cracks and large splits, which will intensively tear the mass of the bearing masonry.

Well, as for the solution of lime with the addition of sand, things are much simpler. It hardens rather slowly and at the beginning of the settlement of the foundation itself, empty or through voids in the walls should not arise. This strengthening technology is mainly used exclusively in the construction of new houses according to today's standard, and as time shows, in new buildings there are no problems with cracks and foundation settlement for a long time.

Builders - specialists share cracks among themselves in brickwork according to such signs:

• Because of what they appear: deformation of the structure of the house, shrinkage or thermal wear of a residential building;
• External and internal view of the destruction itself on the wall: Split, tear, cut;
• Destruction direction: horizontal, vertical, inclined at various angles;
• Shape: curved, straight, closed or torn in half (that is, it almost does not reach the edge of the load-bearing wall).
• Size and depth: on the surface of the wall and inside it;
• How difficult is the repair work, what is the risk of wall destruction: dangerous and non-dangerous;
• Time since destruction: stable or unstable;
• The size of the opening of the split or crack itself: microscopic (up to one millimeter), small (up to three millimeters), medium (from four to eight millimeters), large (more than ten millimeters), very large (from fifteen millimeters or more).

A few main reasons for the appearance of such destruction on the wall, which, by the way, are quite a lot:

1. Settling or destruction of the soil itself. This problem can be caused by uneven natural burning of the soil (its strong and weak sections), incorrect and unacceptable load of the main foundation, leakage into the soil of a very large amount of runoff, as well as polluted water. It is these reasons that can lead to the appearance of large indirect splits or to the formation of vertical cracks that can reach right up to the edge of the load-bearing wall, and so on.
2. Strong hardening of the soil on which the house stands. A similar phenomenon can cause severe frosts, which can cause an uneven rise in the foundation. In particular, hardening of the ground is very dangerous for a building that has not yet been completed, the walls of which have not yet hardened and have not acquired the necessary stability. Specifically, in this case, uneven and deep cracks can form near the walls, and when the soil begins to thaw after the winter, it is more likely that the opposite process may occur - the foundation will settle, which can lead to new damage to the bearing walls.
3. A new repair for a load-bearing wall may be needed after the addition of a small building or room, as the foundation may not withstand the new, additional weight and settle.
4. Uneven and unstable loads on the foundation of the house. For example, if a house is built in Art Nouveau style, then luxurious and long glazing (which is very often used in this architectural style) can often alternate with small blind areas of the house, which will lead to a large difference in weight and ground settlement.
5. If the pit is located next to the building, then very high temperature conditions also adversely affect the soil, which in the future can lead not only to soil settlement, but also to its excessive looseness. It is for these reasons that medium-sized cracks can form on the walls.
6. Extra load due to neighboring houses. On a common foundation, the zones of greatest stress overlap each other and allow the soil to settle very strongly.
7. The reasons can be not only in the soil itself, but also above it. For example, the collection of heavy building material in large quantities next to an unfinished building and already in the ground itself, additional loads and stresses may appear, and it is they who can cause a very strong external settlement of the foundation and the appearance of large cracks and splits.
8. Permanent impact on the foundation. For example, if you drive piles on the territory of a residential building, constantly move heavy vehicles, compressors work - all this leads to drowning of sandy soil and a strong softening of clay masses in the soil. In the aggregate of all these factors, you can get soil settlement and cracks on load-bearing walls.
9. Exposure to high temperatures can cause vertical cracks and splits to form on the walls of your home. Filling cracks in masonry is mainly required for longer buildings that do not have expansion joints.
10. Reloading masonry. In this case, cracks can appear between the walls and on the pillars. Such cracks can be identified by the characteristic closedness and verticality of their direction. Overloading masonry. Appear in piers and on pillars. A characteristic feature of crush cracks is closedness and vertical direction.
11. Various non-hazardous shrinkage deformations can be observed on the plastered walls of the house - these can be small or small cracks that are very randomly scattered over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe wall and are mostly closed, and most importantly, they do not reach the edge of the wall. They appear due to shrinkage of too thick plaster mortar.

Crack Filling Technology

There are many ways to close a crack in brickwork:

• You can install a brick castle or a castle with an anchor;
• Strengthening walls with tension bolts;
• Repair of a through crack with steel staples;
• Carry out repair work in the place of unlocking the floor slab;
• Strengthen the cracked wall;
• Make an overlay from hardened steel;
• Install special brackets
• Install a floor slab;
• Cover the wall with a finishing layer.

See this video for more details:

Conclusion

Apparently, the above can be noted that the general condition of a house made of building bricks must be monitored very carefully. Since the sooner a crack or split is detected, the less time and money will have to be spent on fixing this problem.

More on the topic:

With such a problem as cracks in the walls, many owners of brick country houses face. Of course, such defects should be eliminated as soon as possible. Cracks in the walls not only spoil the appearance of the house, but also have a negative impact on its performance. Moreover, such defects in some cases can even lead to the collapse of the building.

Step-by-step instruction

Cracks in brick walls are usually repaired in several stages. To eliminate such a defect, you need:

• determine the nature of its occurrence;
• to eliminate the identified shortcomings in order to prevent the expansion of the crack;
• carry out a control check;
• depending on the width of the crack and its nature, choose a method for its elimination.

Actually, there are several ways to terminate:

• using cement mortar;
• with the use of mounting foam;
• by replacing the damaged section of the masonry.

The main causes of the defect

What and how to fix cracks in the house? The answer to this question depends on many factors. Before proceeding with the elimination of such a defect, of course, you need to find out why, in fact, it could appear. Most often, cracks are the result of non-compliance with construction technology. This may be, for example, an incorrectly selected type of foundation or roof structure, various kinds of technology violations during masonry, etc. Also, cracks in the walls often appear:

• as a result of incorrect redistribution of the load on the walls (when building a building or when it is redevelopment);
• due to temperature deformations;
• when laying engineering communications under the foundation;
• when constructing a basement floor under an already built building without strengthening the foundation;
• due to wear and tear of the material.

Sometimes cracks can occur due to sinking under a building. This often happens, for example, due to the redistribution of groundwater.

According to the regulations, the repair of cracks in brick walls should be carried out only after the identified cause of their occurrence has been eliminated. That is, if necessary, you should first strengthen the foundation, tie the wall with metal locks, increase its bearing capacity, etc. In any case, it is allowed to close up only those cracks that have already stopped expanding.

How to determine the stability of a defect

It is not difficult to find out that the crack has stopped spreading. To do this, you just need to stick a few beacon pieces of paper across it. If they do not break in about a couple of weeks, then the cracking has stopped. Sticking papers is easiest on PVA. You can also use glue "Moment".

How to close a crack in a brick wall at home: the choice of technique

As soon as the problem that caused the appearance of the crack is resolved, you can proceed to the actual implementation of the termination work. In brick walls, this procedure is usually performed:

• using cement mortar;
• using mounting foam.

With use, you can easily remove a blind crack from the wall. usually finished with a rather thick layer of plaster. It is in it that such defects most often appear. Cement mortar, as well as can be used for sealing including through cracks. The use of these materials, however, is allowed only if the size of such a crack does not exceed 10.1 mm. If this figure is greater, the damaged area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe masonry will have to be disassembled.

with your own hands, if it is blind

Such defects occur in the plaster, usually after it has dried due to a violation of the application technology, as well as as a result of aging of the material, etc. In any case, it will not be difficult to eliminate a non-through crack on your own.

The methods and procedure for sealing cracks in brick walls (non-through) depend on what exactly the defect is. Very often, for example, the so-called "cobwebs" appear on the plastered surface, that is, a network of small cracks. To get rid of this defect, you must first clean off the problem area completely. The easiest way to do this is with a narrow metal spatula. After the collapsed plaster has been removed, you can proceed to finish the site with a new layer of gypsum or cement-sand mixture. Before applying it, the brickwork should be cleaned of dust and moistened with water using a broom.

Sometimes large cracks appear in the plaster. Such defects usually occur in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwindows and doors. Most often, their appearance is caused by home movements. To eliminate such defects, they must first be expanded. To do this, you can use a chisel or any other tool suitable for such work. Next, the crack should be thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt. The easiest way to do this is with a regular household vacuum cleaner.

After the crack is cleared, its inner surface must be wetted with water using a spray gun. Cement mortar for embedding is prepared in a ratio of 1:3. You can also purchase a special dry mix at the store. The crack should be overfilled with mortar. In the end, he should close it completely and even protrude a little beyond. A reinforcing mesh tape must be pressed into the still fresh solution (along the entire length of the crack). After a few minutes, a little more solution must be applied to the wall. Ultimately, the tape should be completely covered with the mixture. After the solution has dried, the repaired area should be treated with a special grater.

Filling narrow through cracks in masonry with concrete mix

The solution in this case must be made on the basis of high-grade cement (preferably M400). River sand is usually used as a plasticizer for cracks up to 5 mm wide. Of course, before starting work, it must be sieved. If the crack width exceeds 5 mm, a little fine quarry sand should be added to the mixture. In order for such a procedure as sealing cracks in brick walls with your own hands to be successful, it is advisable to hammer metal T-shaped anchors into the cavity before using the concrete mixture (with fixation on dowels).

Also, additional reinforcement can be made using a special metal lock (thick plate). The latter is fixed across the crack on the anchor. Install the lock in the course of the development of the defect. If the crack expands from the bottom up, the plate is applied closer to the overlap. Sometimes the wall is strengthened with ordinary steel brackets. The latter must be driven into it by at least half the thickness.

Actually, the very answer to the question of how to repair a crack in a brick wall of a house is, in fact, given above. This procedure is performed approximately according to the same technology as when adjusting the plaster. That is, first, the crack is expanded and cleaned. Then its cavity is moistened with water from a spray bottle. The crack is then filled with cement mortar.

Using mounting foam

This material will also help answer the question of how to close a crack in a brick wall at home. However, foam must be used with caution. When using it, one should always keep in mind that, by expanding, it is able to increase the crack. Therefore, foam should be applied in small quantities. In the future, in the right places, it can simply be added.

After the foam is completely dry, it should be stripped. First, excess material protruding outward is simply cut off with a sharp knife. Then the foam is cleaned along the crack to a depth of several millimeters. This is necessary so that the plaster layer applied on top lies as firmly as possible and does not subsequently crumble. To further strengthen the finish in this case, it is also advisable to use a mesh tape.

How to close a wide crack

So, let's find out how to fix a crack in a brick wall of a house, if it is not too big. Defects with a width of more than 10.1 mm, as already mentioned, can only be eliminated by disassembling the masonry. This procedure should be carried out as carefully as possible. Start dismantling the masonry exclusively from the top row. You can't knock bricks out of the wall.

Replacement with new brickwork is carried out according to the “lock” principle with dressing of the seams. In this case, reinforcing metal plates are used. The latter should cover the gap completely. Instead of plates, you can use ordinary thick reinforcement.

Instead of a conclusion

Thus, we have figured out how to repair a crack in a brick wall of a house. The methods described in the article are suitable both for residential buildings and for household or industrial buildings. The main thing when eliminating such defects is to strictly adhere to the established technology. In this case, the crack will never reappear, and the wall itself will perform its functions as efficiently as possible.

• She is blown into the split with a pistol. It is not necessary to fill the gap completely, as the foam expands during the solidification process.
• After a few hours, cut off with a sharp knife or spatula what is left above the surface. This should be done not flush with the wall, but to a depth of 2-3 mm.
• Mounting foam is destroyed by ultraviolet radiation, so it must be primed and plastered.

Such a defect is considered small and silicone sealants are also used to eliminate it. They are not afraid of temperature changes and high humidity. The excess is removed with a spatula until it hardens. The disadvantage of the material is that it cannot be finished.

In some instructions, it is advised to lay a metal mesh with 5 * 5 mm cells on a cemented split. Holes for dowels are made along the damage and the mesh is fixed with screws. Then it is plastered.

Seal openings larger than 1 cm

Damage greater than 10 mm is considered serious and plaster alone is indispensable.

Sequencing:

• the damaged part of the wall must be disassembled, always start from the top row;
• the surface is well cleaned;
• then the masonry is reassembled using the "brick lock" method;
• metal strips and reinforcement are added to it to bridge the split.

If it is impossible to dismantle damaged bricks, another technology is used.

• The fracture site is cleaned with a scarpel or brush, moistened.
• Then the cement-sand mixture is poured into it to the full depth.
• Throughout the fault, several T-shaped anchors are mounted and fixed with dowels.

The third way is the use of polyurethane foam. The algorithm is similar to that described above: cleaning the surface, blowing foam (only half the gap), cutting off excess, priming, and.

A crack in the bearing wall of a brick house is eliminated by the methods given above if it does not increase. If the test with beacons showed the progression of the defect, first correct the violations in the source of the problem - the foundation, extensions, ceilings.

The through gap is sealed with cement plaster. To cover a large fault, small fragments of bricks or medium-sized gravel are added to it. Such a surface must subsequently be additionally fixed. Reinforcing mesh will not be enough for this.

How to strengthen brick walls

It is supposed to strengthen the masonry from the inside of the building and from the outside. First, work is done to eliminate the fault. Then metal plates are laid across it, the so-called "lock". It is mounted to the surface with anchors. Repairs can be done with staples. Holes are drilled under them with a depth of at least ½ of the thickness of the wall. If the defect appeared due to the foundation of the house, it is also better to strengthen it.

You can put the structure into operation after a day, but you can’t load it too much.

How to strengthen the foundation of a building

The sequence of actions is as follows.

• Creation of a ditch around the perimeter of the entire structure. Its depth should be greater than the depth of the foundation.
• Soil is dug out from under the first base so that the concrete falls under it.
• Reinforcement and pouring of the concrete belt. The reinforcement rods are stuck into the walls of the ditch by 15-20 cm. In the old foundation, you need to drill holes for the reinforcement and weld it with the rods.

After sealing large gaps, the condition of the repaired surface is regularly monitored for several months. In the video - an algorithm for restoring cracked masonry using reinforcement.

All cracks that appear on the foundation of the house indicate that the foundation of the structure needs to be strengthened or repaired. But in order to do it with your own hands, you need to know about the reasons for the destruction of the base, as well as how exactly it is necessary to carry out restoration work.

Why are cracks dangerous?

If the foundation of the building is cracked, it is necessary to immediately begin work on its restoration. If this is not done, after a while, due to the skew of the house, the doors and windows will begin to jam. If the house is made of brick, the crack can spread to the wall, causing the entire structure to collapse. That is why it is necessary to start work on strengthening the base as soon as possible.

Before starting restoration work, it is worth determining the type of crack. To do this, it is enough to clean it from dust and rinse with water. After that, you need to install a beacon on the fault. The date of fixing is applied to it. This is necessary to determine the rate of destruction of the base. If the lighthouse remains intact for two weeks, the crack can simply be sealed with concrete. If the lighthouse breaks, it is necessary to begin work to strengthen the base.

Usually, cracks begin to appear in winter or spring, since it is at this time that an incorrectly created foundation begins to rise or settle unevenly. It is worth remembering that the foundation can burst due to many reasons, so you need to think about this problem at the design stage of the house.

Causes of faults

Before starting restoration work, it is necessary to determine the cause of the destruction. If these actions are neglected, even after repair, the base will gradually collapse. The causes of destruction can be divided into several groups:

1. Technological. An example is the creation of the foundation of a house with violations of reinforcement or installation of formwork. Also, errors include choosing the wrong brand of concrete. A technological error is also considered to be laying the foundation above the groundwater level.
2. Operational. Such mistakes are made already in the process of using the constructed structure. For example, an increase in the load on the foundation as a result of the creation of a second floor. Also, a violation is an increase in humidity in the basement or poor-quality installation of a drainage system near the house.
3. Structural. An example is the compilation of incorrect calculations during the design of a structure. Often the foundation begins to collapse ahead of time due to the fact that geological studies were not carried out before the start of construction.

Important! In order not to encounter the described problem, before building a house, it is necessary to accurately calculate the load on the foundation.

Types of cracks

Cracks in the foundation of a wooden house, which can occur on the foundation, are divided into several types:

1. Hairy. Such cracks are subtle and have a thickness of not more than 3 mm. Their presence only indicates a change in the outer layer of the base. Such flaws can be corrected quite easily.
2. Horizontal. Such defects do not affect the integrity of the foundation.
3. Shrinkage cracks. Such defects occur when the rules for creating a foundation are violated.
4. Vertical. It is these cracks that are a sign that the foundation needs to be repaired. Often they appear under the influence of groundwater on the base or due to heaving of the soil.

How to fix the problem

If you notice that the foundation of the house has cracked, you need to start strengthening it as soon as possible. Such work is carried out as follows:

• first, with the help of a jack, the sagging parts of the base are raised to the design level;
• after that, pits are drilled, the diameter of which is from 20 to 40 cm;
• the resulting void is filled with liquid glass, cement milk or hot bitumen.

This reduces the permeability of the soil, which will make the soil more stable. The described method of strengthening can only be used when using special equipment, so for such work it is necessary to hire professional builders.

Strengthening the foundation of a stone house

The main task of repairing the base of the house is to stop the process of settlement of the structure. therefore, it is impossible to dig under the foundation without securing it. A strengthening method is often used, in which a reinforcing concrete belt is erected from all sides. Such work is carried out as follows:

1. A trench is dug along the tape base of the house, the width of which is approximately 45 cm. During such work, it is impossible to expose the sole of the foundation.
2. After that, the foundation is cleaned of dirt and dust. In this case, all cracks must be embroidered with a spatula.
3. Then the falling off parts of the old foundation are removed.
4. At the next stage, the concrete surface is treated with a primer. It is worth remembering that you need to choose deep penetration compositions.
5. After that, holes are drilled in the foundation. The distance between them should be about 60 cm.
6. Anchors are hammered into the created holes, which are subsequently welded to the reinforcing cage. The diameter of the reinforcement should be approximately 12 mm.
7. At the last stage, the concrete mixture is poured into the created trench. In order for the concrete solution to be evenly distributed along the trench, it is necessary to use a construction vibrator. This also helps to fill the cracks in the old foundation. If this stage of work is neglected, voids may remain in the concrete, which will subsequently cause the foundation to collapse.

Backfilling of the soil occurs only after the concrete has completely cured. If the cracks are not caused by subsidence or deformation of the foundation, they can be repaired with mortar and plastered.

It is worth remembering that if the work is carried out with an error, the foundation will quickly begin to collapse even if there are additional reinforcing structural elements.

Repair of the base of a wooden house

The cracked foundation of a wooden house can be strengthened quite simply, since such structures can be lifted with a jack and installed on temporary supports. But it is worth remembering that if the lower logs are rotten, the structure cannot be raised.

If the crowns are unreliable, rotten areas are cut out in them, after which the house is raised. After that, you can restore the foundation in one of the common ways. Often, owners of country houses install a concrete band around the base. You can also dig under the base and pour concrete pillars. This will make the foundation resistant to significant loads.

It is worth remembering that before you raise the house, you need to disassemble part of the roof in the place where it connects to the chimney. For such work, it is better to invite professional builders.

Reinforcement with piles

In some cases, it is not possible to increase the density of the soil under the structure. In such a situation, it is necessary to strengthen the foundation with piles:

1. If the house is wooden, the whole structure rises to temporary supports, after which the caps are tied with a grillage. After that, the structure is lowered onto a new foundation.
2. In the case when it is necessary to strengthen the base without raising the house, "bulls" are used. They are piles that are driven obliquely from different sides of the corner. Beams are welded onto the heads of these elements, which will serve as a support for the structure.

When using piles, it is worth remembering that their length must be sufficient so that they rest against solid ground.

Monolithic slab repair

Monolithic foundations are destroyed quite rarely, but under certain conditions it is possible. In the event of a serious crack on such a base, it can only be replaced with a new slab. No method will help stop the destruction of a monolithic foundation if it is already beginning to deform.

Conclusion

If it is impossible to completely replace the foundation for any reason, the walls are strengthened and the old sections of the slab are removed. In these places, concrete mortar is poured, which helps to temporarily maintain the integrity of the structure. you can also install concrete blocks or piles as supports.