How and how to fix a crack in the brick wall of the house with your own hands? Step by step instructions and recommendations
With such a problem as cracks in the walls, many owners of brick country houses face. Of course, such defects should be eliminated as soon as possible. Cracks in the walls not only spoil the appearance of the house, but also have a negative impact on its performance. Moreover, such defects in some cases can even lead to the collapse of the building.
Step-by-step instruction
Cracks in brick walls are usually repaired in several stages. To eliminate such a defect, you need:
- determine the nature of its occurrence;
- to eliminate the identified shortcomings in order to prevent the expansion of the crack;
- carry out a control check;
- depending on the width of the crack and its nature, choose a method for its elimination.
Actually, there are several ways to terminate:
- using cement mortar;
- with the use of mounting foam;
- by replacing the damaged section of the masonry.
The main causes of the defect
What and how to fix cracks in the house? The answer to this question depends on many factors. Before proceeding with the elimination of such a defect, of course, you need to find out why, in fact, it could appear. Most often, cracks are the result of non-compliance with construction technology. This may be, for example, an incorrectly selected type of foundation or roof structure, various kinds of technology violations during masonry, etc. Also, cracks in the walls often appear:
- as a result of incorrect redistribution of the load on the walls (when building a building or when it is redevelopment);
- due to temperature deformations;
- when laying engineering communications under the foundation;
- when constructing a basement floor under an already built building without strengthening the foundation;
- due to wear and tear of the material.
Sometimes cracks can occur due to sinking under a building. This often happens, for example, due to the redistribution of groundwater.
According to the regulations, the repair of cracks in brick walls should be carried out only after the identified cause of their occurrence has been eliminated. That is, if necessary, you should first strengthen the foundation, tie the wall with metal locks, increase its bearing capacity, etc. In any case, it is allowed to close up only those cracks that have already stopped expanding.
How to determine the stability of a defect
It is not difficult to find out that the crack has stopped spreading. To do this, you just need to stick a few beacon pieces of paper across it. If they do not break in about a couple of weeks, then the cracking has stopped. Sticking papers is easiest on PVA. You can also use glue "Moment".
How to close a crack in a brick wall at home: the choice of technique
As soon as the problem that caused the appearance of the crack is resolved, you can proceed to the actual implementation of the termination work. In brick walls, this procedure is usually performed:
- using cement mortar;
- using mounting foam.
With the use of a cement mixture, a blind crack can be easily removed from the wall. usually finished with a rather thick layer of plaster. It is in it that such defects most often appear. Cement mortar, as well as can be used for sealing including through cracks. The use of these materials, however, is allowed only if the size of such a crack does not exceed 10.1 mm. If this figure is greater, the damaged area of \u200b\u200bthe masonry will have to be disassembled.
with your own hands, if it is blind
Such defects occur in the plaster, usually after it has dried due to a violation of the application technology, as well as as a result of aging of the material, etc. In any case, it will not be difficult to eliminate a non-through crack on your own.
The methods and procedure for sealing cracks in brick walls (non-through) depend on what exactly the defect is. Very often, for example, the so-called "cobwebs" appear on the plastered surface, that is, a network of small cracks. To get rid of this defect, you must first clean off the problem area completely. The easiest way to do this is with a narrow metal spatula. After the collapsed plaster has been removed, you can proceed to finish the site with a new layer of gypsum or cement-sand mixture. Before applying it, the brickwork should be cleaned of dust and moistened with water using a broom.
Sometimes large cracks appear in the plaster. Such defects usually occur in the area of \u200b\u200bwindows and doors. Most often, their appearance is caused by home movements. To eliminate such defects, they must first be expanded. To do this, you can use a chisel or any other tool suitable for such work. Next, the crack should be thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt. The easiest way to do this is with a regular household vacuum cleaner.
After the crack is cleared, its inner surface must be wetted with water using a spray gun. Cement mortar for embedding is prepared in a ratio of 1:3. You can also purchase a special dry mix at the store. The crack should be overfilled with mortar. In the end, he should close it completely and even protrude a little beyond. A reinforcing mesh tape must be pressed into the still fresh solution (along the entire length of the crack). After a few minutes, a little more solution must be applied to the wall. Ultimately, the tape should be completely covered with the mixture. After the solution has dried, the repaired area should be treated with a special grater.
Filling narrow through cracks in masonry with concrete mix
The solution in this case must be made on the basis of high-grade cement (preferably M400). River sand is usually used as a plasticizer for cracks up to 5 mm wide. Of course, before starting work, it must be sieved. If the crack width exceeds 5 mm, a little fine quarry sand should be added to the mixture. In order for such a procedure as sealing cracks in brick walls with your own hands to be successful, it is advisable to hammer metal T-shaped anchors into the cavity before using the concrete mixture (with fixation on dowels).
Also, additional reinforcement can be made using a special metal lock (thick plate). The latter is fixed across the crack on the anchor. Install the lock in the course of the development of the defect. If the crack expands from the bottom up, the plate is applied closer to the overlap. Sometimes the wall is strengthened with ordinary steel brackets. The latter must be driven into it by at least half the thickness.
Actually, the very answer to the question of how to repair a crack in a brick wall of a house is, in fact, given above. This procedure is performed approximately according to the same technology as when adjusting the plaster. That is, first, the crack is expanded and cleaned. Then its cavity is moistened with water from a spray bottle. The crack is then filled with cement mortar.
Using mounting foam
This material will also help answer the question of how to close a crack in a brick wall at home. However, foam must be used with caution. When using it, one should always keep in mind that, by expanding, it is able to increase the crack. Therefore, foam should be applied in small quantities. In the future, in the right places, it can simply be added.
After the foam is completely dry, it should be stripped. First, excess material protruding outward is simply cut off with a sharp knife. Then the foam is cleaned along the crack to a depth of several millimeters. This is necessary so that the plaster layer applied on top lies as firmly as possible and does not subsequently crumble. To further strengthen the finish in this case, it is also advisable to use a mesh tape.
How to close a wide crack
So, let's find out how to fix a crack in a brick wall of a house, if it is not too big. Defects with a width of more than 10.1 mm, as already mentioned, can only be eliminated by disassembling the masonry. This procedure should be carried out as carefully as possible. Start dismantling the masonry exclusively from the top row. You can't knock bricks out of the wall.
Replacement with new brickwork is carried out according to the “lock” principle with dressing of the seams. In this case, reinforcing metal plates are used. The latter should cover the gap completely. Instead of plates, you can use ordinary thick reinforcement.
Instead of a conclusion
Thus, we have figured out how to close a crack in a brick wall of a house. The methods described in the article are suitable both for residential buildings and for household or industrial buildings. The main thing when eliminating such defects is to strictly adhere to the established technology. In this case, the crack will never reappear, and the wall itself will perform its functions as efficiently as possible.
