Crack repair
Causes of cracks and solutions
There are many reasons why cracks occur. Cracks are not always a disaster and the problem can often be resolved quickly and easily. Diagnosis by a professional is crucial as there are many possible causes and there may be more than one.
Homes in Quebec are subject to extreme climate variations; your home may be built on clayey or poorly drained land, freezing and thawing may have caused the land to move, your building's concrete may have imperfections or it may be contaminated by pyrite. First of all, you will need to determine if the cracks are active or passive. A new building may have cracks resulting from the shrinkage of the concrete or too hasty a filling at the time of construction. If they remain stable, a simple repair is enough. If however, the crack is active and if it evolves and spreads, then it is important to act quickly to put a stop to the process. Depending on the diagnosis, the crack may be repaired from either the interior or the exterior. If it is superficial, an interior repair with the injection of epoxy or urethane is sufficient. If however, the crack is more significant and is the result of a drainage or subsidence problem, an exterior repair may be more effective. An inspection of your drainage system could be carried out, and the damp proofing of your foundation could prevent the problem from recurring. If pyrite is the issue, the contaminated areas must be removed and replaced.
Our know-how
- Expertise, technical analysis and diagnostic
- Excavation
- Drain inspection, maintenance, repair or replacement, if necessary
- Sealing of interior and exterior cracks with epoxy or polyurethane
- Installation of a steel plate and anchoring bolts
- Damp proofing
Advantages of crack repair by injection of epoxy or polyurethane
- No noise, odour or pollution
- No need to dig
- Liquid epoxy reinforces the concrete
- Polyurethane makes the repair more flexible
- This type of repair can be done at any time of year, in all weather conditions
Government subsidy programs
Certain crack repairs may be covered by renovation assistance programs. For Montreal residences, home owners should contact: