How to Repair a Cracked Basement Wall From the Outside
Every homeowner needs to deal with concrete cracks at one time or another. One of the more common areas for this repair job is outside basement walls. Concrete is composed of cement as well as other materials such as ash and slag cement, gravel, limestone and sand. While strong and durable, it does crack, especially when exposed to high temperature shifts, as basement walls often are. While large cracks will need a professional, the determined do-it-yourselfer can deal with smaller, cosmetic cracks up to ½ inch wide. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pourable grout
- Wire brush
- Shop vacuum
- Hose and nozzle, or pressure washer
Instructions
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Prepare the surface by removing any loose material. With a wire brush, completely scour out the crack. Vacuum with the shop vacuum when done scouring.
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Wash the crack out with a hose or pressure washer. Brush out any standing water, but leave the crack damp as the pourable grout will adhere better to a wet surface.
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Fill in the crack with a pourable grout, which can be purchased at any local hardware store. Use a utility knife to cut the tip off the grout tube, making a hole a smaller than the size of the crack. Pour in the grout. If the crack is deeper than 14 inches, pour in the grout one layer at a time, letting it dry per the manufacturer's instructions between each layer.
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