Foundation Leak Repair
Foundation Leak Repair Services From BZ Construction
Most foundation leak repairs can be completed in a single day and help stop water from entering your home or business. Many leaks appear below the soil line and occur when cracks or gaps form between the exterior and interior surfaces in poured concrete. If left untreated, leaks can get worse and cause even more damage to your foundation. BZ Construction provides foundation leak repair services to stop and prevent water damage from affecting your home or commercial property.
What Causes Foundation Leaks?
Depending on the age, location, and history of your building, many potential issues can cause a foundation to leak. The most common causes of foundation leaks are related to the natural curing of concrete and problems in the soil. Over time, cracks in your foundation can form leaks caused by excessive hydrostatic pressure, the clay bowl effect, and poor grading.
Hydrostatic Pressure
Hydrostatic Pressure refers to the amount of force, or pressure, that water places on a stationary structure. Water is heavy, and when it pushes against a building's foundation, it can exert a force strong enough to cause bowing, cracking, and other issues.
So, how exactly does water find a way to push against your foundation? The answer is through the soil. When water collects in the ground, it forces the soil to expand and increase in density. All that additional weight will be forced against a building, potentially resulting in cracks and a shifting foundation.
Things like poor soil compaction, the 'Clay Bowl' effect, and improper grading lead to increases in hydrostatic pressure. The water held in the soil can then leak through any cracks in your foundation.
Clay Bowl Effect
The Clay Bowl Effect is a phenomenon that results from poor soil compaction around a structure. When pouring a foundation, the ground is first excavated to make room for the concrete and then filled back in around the outer edges of the basement or foundation. The soil filled in around the edges is referred to as backfill.
If the backfill is not compacted correctly, it will be looser than the undisturbed ground and absorb more water. That is what's known as the clay bowl effect. The loose ground acts like a bowl and holds more water than the harder ground around it, which provides more opportunities for water to leak into your foundation.
Solutions to leaks caused by the clay bowl effect can be sealing existing cracks, properly compacting the soil, installing a drainage system, re-grading the property, or any combination of the above. Ultimately, an experienced contractor or construction expert, like BZ Construction, will be able to diagnose the issue and provide a solution to fix the problem.
Poor Grading
If the soil around your foundation was improperly graded or eroded over time, excess water could settle too close to your building. Moisture from rain or melting snow must drain away from your foundation to prevent a build-up of hydrostatic pressure, like in the clay bowl effect.
By re-grading the soil to slope away from your home or business, we can further limit the amount of leaks and prevent even worse water damage.
Concrete Cracks
Sometimes foundation leaks are simply the result of aging concrete foundations. As poured concrete ages, minor cracks will form as it settles. In other cases, the natural expansion, contraction, and shifting of soil causes cracks to appear over time. Once cracks penetrate through concrete, water from the surrounding soil will most likely find a way in.
Most leaks caused by minor cracks or aging foundations can be repaired without much cause for alarm. However, if your foundation has large cracks forming and growing within its first few years, then that’s usually a sign of poor construction or soil conditions. In cases like this, it’s best to consult with experts who can evaluate your property and determine the underlying causes.
Small hairline cracks are perfectly normal, but if you notice larger cracks in your foundation, then don’t hesitate to contact us and ask about our Poured Concrete Crack Filling Services.
Why Is Repairing Foundation Leaks Important?
Issues like cracks in your foundation from environmental conditions, improperly sealed utility penetrations, and aging concrete or masonry are common failure points that may cause leaks. Over time, temperature changes can cause water trapped in cracks to freeze and expand, making leaks even worse. Plus, water in your basement puts you at an increased risk for mold-related health problems.
Repairing foundation leaks as they appear can prevent future property damage and stop these issues from getting worse.
Our Foundation Leak Repair Process
Our foundation leak repair services start with inspecting your foundation and basement. We identify all possible sources of the issue and create a strategy to treat the problem and prevent future damage.
In most cases, foundation leaks can be prevented through injection technology and sealing concrete surfaces. However, in severe instances, conditions in the soil may also need to be addressed.
No matter what issues are causing your foundation to leak, our goal is to keep you informed throughout the entire process. We inspect all sources of damage, provide a plan of action to reinforce your foundation's structural integrity, and discuss all costs associated with our recommended fixes.
“We Don’t Hide The Problem – We Fix The Problem.”
Epoxy Resin Injections
Our treatment process involves the strategic sealing of any cracks through epoxy injection technology. Our epoxy resin injection treatments fill in any gaps or cracks in your foundation and form an air-tight barrier to prevent leaks from penetrating.
Epoxy resin treatments provide a cost-effective and long-term solution for foundation leak repairs. Our process is a fast, effective, and safe way to treat interior and exterior surfaces. We stop early signs of leaks to keep you safe and prevent water damage to your property.
Foundation Leak Repairs In Delaware
BZ Construction provides foundation leak repair services for residential and commercial buildings in Delaware. We make it our priority to help homeowners, landlords, property managers, and government agencies mitigate and prevent water damage from threatening your home or business. When you have leaks affecting your foundation or basement, give us a call for fast and thorough repairs. We serve the following counties in Delaware:
Foundation Leak Repair in New Castle County, DE
Foundation Leak Repair in Kent County, DE
Foundation Leak Repair in Sussex County, DE
