If you have cracks in your foundation, then it's wise to call a foundation repair company and have them come to make repairs. But how, exactly, will they repair the cracks in your foundation? That depends on the size of your cracks, where they are located, their likely cause, and whether they are horizontal or vertical cracks. Here are some of the techniques that foundation repair companies tend to use.
Masonry Patches
If the cracks are small and superficial, your foundation repair company will likely choose to simply seal them with some masonry. They'll prepare a specialized concrete mixture and use it to fill in the cracks. This won't really give the foundation any extra structural integrity, which is why this approach is used when structural issues are not suspected to be to blame for the cracking. The masonry will keep water from seeping in, which is all you really need in this case.
Slab Jacking
A lot of foundation cracks are caused by the foundation settling unevenly over time. Deep, horizontal cracks usually occur if one side of the foundation sinks more than the other. In this case, the foundation repair company can use a method called slab jacking to even the foundation out again. They'll make some holes in the concrete and pump grout through those holes, adding material under the lower side of your foundation. This should close the cracks considerably and prevent new ones from forming. The now smaller cracks can be filled with masonry to prevent leaks.
Spot Piers
Sometimes the cracks can be caused just by just a small part of the foundation being under excess pressure for some reason. For instance, maybe there is a porch that weighs on part of the foundation, pushing it down and causing cracks in that area. When this occurs, a foundation repair team will often use spot piers to make a repair. The repair team will dig down in the compromised area and add a concrete pier there. This can raise the sunken area back up. Any remaining cracks can be sealed with mortar, and you should not see additional ones form as the foundation is now strong enough to support its load.
These are some of the most common ways cracked foundations are repaired, but not the only ones. Talk to your cracked foundation repair team about the exact approach they plan on using, and they can tell you more.
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