Foundation Settlement Crack Repair — Bettendorf, Iowa

Settlement had opened a crack in a Bettendorf foundation wall and was letting water into the basement. Behncke Construction sealed the crack from both the exterior and the interior, giving the wall two layers of protection against future water intrusion.

Project photos

Project overview

A homeowner in Bettendorf, Iowa had a foundation crack that developed from settling and was allowing water into the basement. The crew repaired it with a two-sided approach.

Project details

The crack was exposed from the outside and sealed on the exterior face of the wall, stopping water at its source. It was then sealed from the interior as well, so the basement has a second barrier if moisture ever gets past the exterior repair.

The exterior work was done with minimal disturbance to the surrounding foundation. Not every crack needs a structural fix or a large excavation; this one needed a sound, two-sided seal.

What homeowners should know

Settlement cracks appear when part of a foundation moves a little more than the rest, usually because the soil beneath it compresses or shrinks unevenly. In the Quad Cities’ clay soils, that movement often tracks wet and dry seasons. A settlement crack is not automatically a structural emergency, but any crack that passes water is a water problem that gets worse with each freeze-thaw cycle.

Sealing from both sides is about redundancy. An exterior seal keeps water out of the wall itself, which protects the block and mortar; an interior seal is the backstop that keeps the basement dry if the exterior ever fails. Either alone can work for a while. Together they cover the common ways a single repair gives out.

Whether a crack is serious depends on its pattern, width and whether it is still moving. A crack that keeps widening, steps diagonally through block, or is accompanied by a bowing wall calls for a structural evaluation rather than a seal. Watch repaired cracks after heavy rain and note any new displacement.

Photo highlights

• The exterior seal complete, with the excavation beside the wall.
• The settlement crack exposed from the exterior before sealing.
• The same crack sealed from the interior side.
• Hand-dug excavation exposing the crack from top to bottom.

Related services

• Foundation Crack Repair
• Is My Foundation Crack Serious?
• Foundation Settlement
• Foundation Repair in Bettendorf
• More recent project updates