Foundation Crack Repair — Rock Island, Illinois

Project summary

Behncke Construction repaired a leaking crack in a poured-concrete foundation wall at a home in Rock Island, Illinois. Water had been finding its way through the crack and into the basement, so the goal was a durable seal that keeps it out for the long term.

What we did

The crack was addressed from both sides of the wall. On the exterior, the foundation was excavated at the crack and sealed; on the interior, the crack was sealed as well using our water-stop crack repair method. Sealing both faces of a poured wall provides two lines of defense against future water intrusion.

What homeowners should know

Not every foundation crack is a structural problem. Many cracks in poured-concrete walls are non-structural but still let water in, and in many cases they can be sealed rather than requiring major reconstruction. It also helps to look at the whole picture: where water is coming from outside — grading, downspouts and drainage — often matters as much as the crack itself, because a wet basement is usually a water-management problem before it’s a wall problem. Cracks that are widening, stair-stepping or paired with movement are a different situation and can call for structural reinforcement, while a hairline crack that isn’t moving is typically monitored and sealed.