Why is the house cracking? How and how to repair cracks in the walls of a brick house: causes and repair

Sooner or later, almost every property owner is faced with such an unpleasant thing as crack detection. And the reasons for this can be very diverse. The article will discuss the repair of cracks in the walls of the house.

Prevention of cracks in the walls of a new house

The appearance of cracks on the surface of the walls does not bode well. In the best case, you will have to redo the finishing work, and you don’t even want to think about the worst options. However, it is difficult for a simple layman to assess the level of threat, so it is worth resorting to the services of specialized organizations that will carry out design and survey work. The result will be an act that will indicate the causes of these defects, the dynamics of development, a conclusion on the hazard class, as well as recommendations (design solution) for their elimination.

Most residents, seeing the cracks, begin to sound the alarm, turn to housing companies and other similar services. Upon the arrival of specialists, it turns out that the cracks were formed due to temperature changes, low-quality finishing materials or their natural wear. However, in such situations, finding out the origin of various depressions and sizes of crevices will not be redundant.

General information

• It should be remembered that any building structures must meet the relevant standards, a number of important requirements. When the structure ceases to resist operational loads, it begins to collapse. Such a state is called the limit. The resulting damage does not allow further operation of the building.
• Therefore, if any element of the structure (foundation, ceilings, walls) ceases to meet certain norms and rules, it means that it has reached the limit state. As a result, signs of deterioration begin to appear, namely cracks of various shapes and sizes. And the more they are, the wider the depth of disclosure, the more dangerous they are.

• But the appearance of small cracks, the so-called cobwebs in new buildings do not pose any danger. After all, the reason for this is the natural subsidence of the building. After 3-6 months, new microcracks cease to appear, and old ones - to expand.
• The progression of cracks should alert, this indicates the beginning of the destruction of the structure. Here, measures should be taken to eliminate the cause of destruction.

Cracks in the walls of wooden houses

• As for wooden structures, cracks often occur under the influence of moisture preserved in the inner layers of a beam or log. Their formation can be minimized by a compensatory cut, which is performed along the entire length of the lumber with a depth of no more than 1/5 of the log diameter.

• In cases where large crevices have formed in the exploited building, you should not panic. Such defects are not dangerous and in no way affect the user properties of the walls. To be convinced of this, it is enough to look at the log cabins dotted with cracks in remote villages that have been standing there for several decades.
• Therefore, sealing cracks in wooden houses is carried out only for aesthetics. The materials used are different, but, unfortunately, none of them differ in a long service life:
  • sealant cannot provide long-term adhesion to wood. Such a seal will withstand no more than 2-3 seasons. But after peeling off, a new layer can be applied on top of the old one, only it will last again for a couple of years;

• polyethylene foam bundles are intended for indoor use, so their use is impractical;
• any solid compositions are also not suitable for this kind of structure. The tree constantly absorbs and gives back moisture, changing its size depending on the season. That is why the delamination of any sealing material $
• The best option for sealing cracks in wooden surfaces is by means of caulking with moss or linen-hemp braids.

Why cracks form in the walls of a brick house

The appearance of this kind of defect on walls made of bricks, foam blocks or aerated concrete can be influenced by various reasons, the most common are:

• violation of the masonry process (thickened horizontal seams, lack of dressing and reinforcement);
• poor-quality material and / or illiterately mixed solution (violation of proportions when mixing, that is, by eye);
• the use of building materials for other purposes (for example, a silicate product cannot be used in rooms with high humidity);
• the combination of materials of different characteristics (the combination of clay bricks with cinder blocks is unacceptable);
• uneven shrinkage of the foundation.

The formation of cracks in reinforced concrete structures occurs due to the following factors:

• non-compliance with the technology of pouring concrete (small vibration, quick drying, an error in the recipe when mixing the concrete solution);
• mechanical deformations, external load (lack of expansion joints and omission or reduction in the amount of reinforcement);
• uneven subsidence.

Cracks in the wall what to do

Cracks can be patched in many ways, their opening will determine the choice of material.

• If the depth of the crack is small, then it is plastered with a sand-cement mortar, with the addition of PVA glue or cement putty for outdoor use. Of course, the pre-damaged area and the adjacent part of the wall must be cleaned of crumbling fragments, dust-free, treated with a primer, and a reinforcing tape applied.

• A crack of average size is closed using a metal mesh. Here, all cracked coating is removed and without fail primed. Next, holes for dowels are drilled in increments of 25-30 cm. A mesh with 5x5 cm cells is attached to the surface using screws with wide washers. If the emergency area is large and it is required to lay another strip of reinforcing material, then this is done with an overlap (at least 10 cm). The cement-based stucco is pressed into the mesh so that it is attached to the wall. After light leveling, it is necessary to wait for complete drying, and only then apply the next final layer.
• You can also use mounting foam - the gap is foamed, after drying, the remains are cut off, and then finishing materials are applied (plaster, paint, and so on).

Cardinal methods for eliminating a crack in the wall of the house

Determining whether a crack is progressing is quite simple. To do this, paper strips are taken, which are glued across the crack in several places (top, bottom and middle). Further, everything is simple, if the paper is torn, then here, accordingly, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the causes of this defect.

Tip: A gypsum plate can also act as a beacon. You can take plastic (glass) elements tightly fitted to each other, which are attached to opposite sides of the crack. Once every 7-10 days, the beacons are inspected, data are recorded, which are compared with the original records. Their displacement or deformation signals the development (expansion) of the gap.

Anchor setting

• It is possible to stop the “spreading” of large cracks with a large opening with the help of an anchor (channel). First, the plaster is knocked down to the length of the metal plate, if this parameter is 1 meter, then the area is cleaned 50 cm on each side of the gap. The depth of the strobe should correspond to the thickness of the metal.
• Depending on the thickness of the wall, the material from which it is made, as well as its condition, fastening is carried out using dowels, anchor bolts or long bolts with a nut. In the latter case, the wall is drilled through.

• Cracks and strobes are cleaned and filled with mounting foam. The anchor is inserted into the recess and fixed with hardware. It is better to install the tightening system in 3 places, stepping back a little from the beginning and end of the gap, and in the middle. Then the reinforcing material is mounted and the emergency area is plastered.
• Staples are suitable instead of plates. They can be prepared independently, for this, reinforcement of the required length is taken, it is necessary to take into account the bending of both ends of the metal by about 15-20 cm.
• Furrows are prepared across the crack in several places so that the metal bracket sits a little deeper in relation to the surface. For example, if the cross section of the reinforcement is 10 mm, then the depth of the strobe should be 13-15 mm.
• Holes for the ends of the workpiece are drilled with the appropriate diameter and equal to its length. It is impossible to hammer the bracket into the wall, as this can provoke a crack divergence or destruction of the area adjacent to it.
• Next, standard manipulations are performed: cleaning, priming, reinforcement, plastering.

Diagnosis of cracks by specialists

• If the manipulations carried out did not lead to a positive result (cracks expand or appear in other areas), then it is time to correct the mistakes made during the construction of the structure.
• To do this, you should contact a specialized company that will conduct research and offer the best solution to this difficult issue. Specialists will prepare a project to restore the structural elements of the building.

The result will depend on the violations found during the construction process:

• dismantling of the emergency wall and re-laying of brick, block rows;
• execution of a monolithic structure - a reinforcing belt;
• reinforcement of supports or their complete replacement;
• restoration of the blind area;
• extension of the bearing wall and reinforcement of the walls.

How to fix a crack in the wall inside the house

There are many factors that affect the appearance of different "caliber" cracks and cracks on the walls and ceilings of the room:

• natural shrinkage of the house, violation of construction technology;
• poor-quality materials or their incompatibility, improper application;
• unfavorable operating conditions (high humidity, temperature fluctuations).

Before proceeding with the elimination of cracks, it is necessary to identify and correct the cause of the cracking of the surface. Otherwise, all the efforts made, the funds spent will not justify themselves.

Drywall

• On such material, small cracks often appear. The web indicates that a thick layer of putty may have been produced. Another reason is a violation of the temperature regime, so many artificially pump heat (guns, hair dryers or heaters) to dry the surface faster. Definitely, this cannot be done, the finishing material must dry, and not harden.
• Such defects of the horizontal or vertical direction often occur at the joints of the sheets. There are two sources of their formation:
  • weakened frame;
  • absence of sickle at the seams.

Correction

You can get rid of the defect only by removing the damaged layer and applying a thinner one, not exceeding 2 mm. If there is a need for another coating of the surface, then first you need to wait for the complete drying of the applied material, and only then proceed with applying the next layer.

If the problem lies in the metal structure under the drywall, then deeper cracks cannot be repaired. But with a reliable fixation of the base to the wall, repair work is carried out as follows:

• - cracks are deepened with a sharp knife at an angle of 45 °, a kind of groove is made;
• - the furrow is filled with a small amount of a mixture designed specifically for these purposes;
• - a sickle tape is “glued” on top and the surface is leveled.

plastered walls

Often the sources of such damage are incorrect application of the material or an imbalance when mixing the dry mixture with water. Of course, there are more serious reasons due to which surface cracking occurs, but this was discussed above.

Correction

• Fiberglass is an ideal material for masking an imperfect surface. It will hide existing cracks, prevent new ones from forming and old ones to expand. Before work, it is enough to close up only especially deep recesses with putty and treat the wall with a deep penetration primer.
• Peeling plaster can be completely removed, after which the surface is primed and puttied. Before work, carefully read the information on the packaging regarding the proportions of dilution, as well as the recommended thickness of the material layer.

Conclusion

Almost all the cracks that form in the walls of the house are due to the lack of proper supervision, low-skilled workers and, consequently, poor-quality work. Therefore, it is very important to follow all technical conditions, norms and rules when erecting buildings of any purpose. And:

• take into account the properties of the soil;
• calculate the margin of safety of load-bearing structures;
• use high quality building materials.

Before you cover up a crack in the wall of the house on your own, you need to make sure that it does not affect the strength of the entire structure and does not pose a threat. And in order to avoid such a problem, it is better to entrust the construction to licensed contractors, to whom, on the basis of a contract, it will be possible to make claims for poor-quality work.

The reasons for the appearance of defects, “ugliness” on the surface are different. It is naive to think that such a problem will not affect a person living in the private sector, who looks with interest at photos of design projects, thinks about how to ennoble his home, not noticing what is happening with the walls, not paying attention to their condition and appearance.

Houses age over time, groundwater undermines the foundation, making it shrink. Even a construction pit or earth-digging activities carried out nearby contribute to the emergence of problems, affecting the entire structure as a whole.

It is important not only to prevent the appearance of new cracks, but also to strive to repair old ones in time so as not to bring the house to a deplorable state.

Why defects appear

If we talk about global causes, then basically these are the clumsy hands of builders who erect the construction of a residential complex in the wrong place, do not take into account the properties and characteristics of the soil.

Cracks in a brick wall can appear with improper masonry, saving mortar and material. All the same "sides" and mistakes of specialists.

Based on the characteristics of the soil and the shortcomings of would-be designers, as well as the direct work on the erection of the building, the reasons for the appearance of dangerous gaps are as follows:

• Developers violate the technology of laying the foundation, save on quality material, do their work in bad faith;
• The soils on which the building is located are heterogeneous, do not differ in resistance;
• Aggressive impact of underground sources (lakes, rivers, pools);
• The foundation - ages, shrinks, over time - collapses.
• Construction - skewed due to non-observance of the vertical and horizontal during the construction process;
• Weak solution, improper dressing also lead to problems.
• Redevelopment or extension was done without normal reinforcement.

Violators of construction technology most often do the following:

• Bandaging is performed incorrectly;
• Carry out incorrect repairs;
• They dig trenches under the base when the building is completed;
• Do not carry out waterproofing work and storm water;
• Incorrectly select the structure and build the foundation;
• They dig unplanned structures such as a basement (the foundation is not strengthened at the same time);
• Part of the foundation sags after the pipes are laid.

All the shortcomings of the builders go sideways. Especially when the house was made at maximum speed using cheap building materials.

Poor-quality cement, unsifted sea sand, weak reinforcement, the use of rubble stone in the construction of the foundation - and the whole structure may collapse over time. We will have to pay attention to cracks in a timely manner, to repair them with high quality in order to prevent a catastrophe.

Classification

According to the degree of surface destruction, all defects can be divided into:

Small ones that appear on the wall and ceiling. The crack needs to be slightly expanded, unstable areas removed so that new ones do not appear. Then the main events are carried out - wetting, priming, plastering.

Well visible on the inner surface. The main activities are cleaning, sealing using a reinforcing mesh to strengthen the walls from subsequent sprawl.

Significant sizes, for the most part - through. Slots are gradually foamed, foam is not allowed to creep over the edges.

Outside, defects are sealed with cement mortar, inside - with gypsum, followed by reinforcement and plastering. Foam should not be too much, so as not to get the opposite effect - expansion.

Beauty tool

For cosmetic events, regardless of the degree of complexity, you will need:

• Putty knife;
• A variety of gypsum and cement mixtures;
• Metal brush;
• Starting and finishing putty;
• Glue having a cement base;
• Mounting foam;
• Self-adhesive tape;
• Vacuum cleaner or thermal blower;
• Finishing materials (wallpaper, tiles, paintwork, drywall, etc.).

How to fix

First of all, it is necessary to stop the process of crack expansion, to eliminate the cause of the walls spreading. It is not enough simply to plaster this situation. You may have to tie the entire structure with reinforcing belts, foam it, sheathe it with siding, and inside - reinforce it with a metal mesh and plaster it.

The situation is resolvable after a thorough strengthening of the foundation. When a house is in disrepair, it can collapse at any moment.

Deep surface splits allow moisture and cold to pass through, contribute to the formation of fungus and mold, and make the building uninhabitable. When they appear in load-bearing members, they show the severity of the building's destruction.

The detected defects do not always indicate the possible collapse of the structure, its accident rate. When they do not expand, cosmetic repairs, regular finishing, foaming, plastering are enough.

A crack, regardless of its depth and width, is always cleaned, they try to prevent its further spread by reinforcing the surface with a reinforcing mesh.

When defects with a split surface appear in an apartment of a multi-storey building, one cannot do without inspection and consultation of specialists. Only they can determine the severity of the damage, how the building is in disrepair, whether the residential complex is suitable for housing at all.

When things are very bad, deep cracks appear in the concrete wall, an act is drawn up, and the tenants are evicted.

The prevention and strengthening of the entire structure is important. The complexity of the work depends on the condition of the supporting structures. Sometimes you can't do without the help of specialists. Some defects can be corrected independently.

Photo of cracks in the wall and methods of elimination

Today, a turnkey frame house in Vologda is ordered very often. If there is a crack in the wall of the house, it is absolutely impossible to treat it negligently. After all, this is all due to the fact that a technological error was made during the construction of the foundation, or the wall of the building! But, having noticed such a nuisance and figured out what was the matter in time, you can eliminate the problem before serious negative consequences begin.

Causes of cracks in the wall of the house, and what to do?

When the foundation of the building is done correctly, it will stand firmly, despite the movement of soil layers in different directions. But if cracks appear on the walls, then something is wrong with the foundation ...

In addition, there are other reasons due to which a crack may appear in the wall of a brick house, or a panel one. For example, due to the fact that the design of the entire structure is absolutely imperfect, or errors were made in the design, and maybe shortcomings in the process of construction work.

The first thing to say about the heterogeneity of the soil under the foundation. And the most interesting thing is that soil density changes over time!

Well, before you repair the cracks in the walls of the house, you need to understand where they came from.

How to understand the causes of cracks on the walls of houses

Be sure to record during this period, what is the temperature regime and the amount of precipitation. It is advisable to keep this record for a whole year.

In order to clearly see what changes are taking place, alabaster lumps must be attached to the crack, having previously soaked them. They will resemble plasticine in consistency. With an interval of 1 meter, it is necessary to install beacons along the entire crack. Well, by checking such marks with a certain interval, you will determine the reason:

• Naturally, if the label cracks, or maybe even falls off, the crack grows. Based on the gap, draw conclusions about how quickly cracks increase.
• The label can crack, leaving no gap, dynamic loads are applied to the wall, and there are no stresses and further discrepancies in the material.
• The mark is intact, and there is no tension in the wall. This means that the crack appeared as a result of the fact that shrinkage occurred one-time.

At the same time, it can be quite difficult to determine the causes of cracks on your own. Therefore, in many cases it is still worth contacting professional craftsmen. After all, it's a pretty serious matter.

Of course, the most dangerous case is precisely the one when the crack grows. This means that either the foundation or the walls will be destroyed in any case. Of course, there is always a way out. For example, rebuild the emergency section of the house. But, if you notice the problem in time, then you can save yourself with such an option as tight fitting.

In general, this is a fairly simple process:

• It is necessary to install steel corners on the outer corners, they must be with shelves of 10 cm.
• On the walls, on crutches, it is necessary to lay at least a couple of smooth reinforcing lines (top and bottom).
• Cut the threads on all the rods, and screw the nuts onto the reinforcement, welded to the steel corners.
• On the side of the reinforcement bars, at a distance of 1 m, small rods should be welded to transmit rotation using an ordinary adjustable wrench.
• When the tightening is completed, the two need to simultaneously twist the bars, while the tension must be gradually increased.

In this case, cracks can be immediately avoided and they will not even be visible.

To strengthen the wall in problem areas, you must use:

• External reinforcement with steel or carbon fiber mesh.
• Anchors, metal frames.
• Embedded reinforcing elements along the strobes.
• injection method.

To close any crack, you need to completely clean it and expand it to 1.5 cm. Next, the gap needs to be angry with a solution.

If there are cracks in the walls of a panel house, brick or in the foundation, it is necessary, and as soon as possible, to take the necessary measures to eliminate them. For example, you may need to strengthen the foundation. This can be done with screw piles, as well as side or bottom grouts. Only after the construction expertise has been carried out, you will be able to determine ways to strengthen the foundation, and indeed, eliminate the problem of cracking.

10 photos of cracks in the wall of the house

Crack in the wall of a panel house, what to do? To positively resolve this issue, you just need to systematically and thoroughly consider it. To determine the root causes, a qualitative analysis is half the battle. And to deal with the actual decision on their own or responsible organizations.

Open cracks in the walls of panel houses

There are two types of cracks in walls: open and closed. The names speak for themselves. Closed cracks, located inside the walls, are not visible without special equipment, and open ones are visible to the naked eye.

Any of these types of cracks is most often developing and without a set of measures to eliminate it will only lead to deterioration.

You should also carefully consider the location of the crack in the outer or inner wall, in the bearing or in the partition, possibly on the ceiling or on the floor.

To independently analyze the risk of developing a split, it is possible to simply place a plaster beacon. If during the season the lighthouse remained intact, it means that there is no crack development and it can be repaired. At the same time, growing cracks will show their variability, will constantly increase in volume. Stable cracks are the most favorable when considering this problem.

In addition, there are technological gaps that appear during the drying of components used in decoration and construction. To avoid this type of crevices, various fastening materials resembling meshes are usually used. These cracks will not lead to the destruction of structures, but only change its aesthetics.

If you try as much as possible to distribute the cracks in the walls into subgroups, you get a picture:

• For reasons: filler, deformation, temperature, structural, and also due to wear or weathering of the walls.
• By destruction: cuts, crushing and ruptures.
• In direction: oblique, vertical and horizontal direction.
• In shape: curvilinear, straight and closed (not capturing the edges of the walls) contour.
• In depth: external and through crevices.
• According to the degree of risk: safe and dangerous.
• By time: stable-permanent and unstable-permanent fractures.
• By disclosure: large, small, hairy, developed.

What causes cracks in the walls of a panel house?

In the case of the construction of walls in compliance with the technology, the rules of operation were not violated, then the reasons for the formation of cracks are possible as follows:

1. Depreciation is the wear and tear of a material. End of service life. For example, concrete will last 80-150 years.
2. Erosion, weathering. Much faster the natural environment leads to weakening, is a catalyst.
3. The action of the soil itself and groundwater. Pretty common reason. In addition, the bases of the foundation washed out by groundwater and cyclic freezing of the soil are dangerous.
4. Humidity and temperature fluctuations are the most negative factor. Freeze-thaw cycles expand the crack even with a fairly large resistance of the walls to this process.

If the technologies were taken into account insufficiently responsibly, there are violations of the rules of operation, then the reasons may be hidden in the following:

1. Existence of extensions or superstructures. Certain compressive stresses are formed, as a result of which the foundation cushion is deposited in the soil. Moreover, adjoining cracks may contain oblique cracks of the "down" direction, and opening - "up". Also, this occurs when the superstructure passes along the entire length of the building.
2. Fluctuating pressure on the foundation along the length of the structure. Often this is affected by glazed areas along the length of large sizes. This affects the uneven settlement of the foundation.
3. Construction of a pit near an already built structure. Soil displacements cause displacement of loads, respectively, inclined cracks appear, everything is simple.
4. Mutual pressure of neighboring foundations. With this type of impact, the loads add up and increase the total point compression of the soil. If one of the buildings was built earlier, then the slope goes in its direction.
5. Effect of loads on surfaces. This is storage on the ground near the walls of various materials, industrial raw materials and any other products. It turns out the soil is compressed, the foundation is deposited, and cracks are created.
6. dynamic influences. This includes moving vehicles, driving piles, operation of compressors and boilers in various workshops, and any similar vibrations. Also, under the influence of such loads, the foundation settles.
7. Freezing and freezing of soils. Freezing raises foundations with heaving. This is especially dangerous during the coursewhen the walls have low bending rigidity. An extremely negative moment, the walls on which the remaining floors are being built are already being built with the presence of these deviations.
8. Changes in shape during shrinkage. During shrinkage, the gaps often pass in the corners of the wall openings of buildings and acquire a radial orientation. Such clefts are simply not aesthetic. On plastered surfaces, small, closed, multidirectional or oriented cracks sometimes appear that do not reach the corners. Their reason is the drying of a solution with a high fat content.
9. Wall overload. It threatens to destroy the walls and is accompanied by cracking of the main structures. Cracks of this kind are the initial sign of the destruction of the walls and they are extremely dangerous.

In a good way, in order to deal with the causes of occurrence, it is necessary to document the design history, engineering geology, operation of the building, the location of underground utilities and a work project with a designer's supervision journal.

Danger of cracks in the wall, identification of risks?

Having determined the causes of cracking, you can roughly determine the degree of danger of their presence in the wall. For an objective assessment, you will have to examine the cracks from the neighbors' apartments and carefully see if there were redevelopments there. With good relations, the neighbors will show without problems, otherwise you will have to collect a commission.

Most of the cracks described are harmless. In new buildings, during the first 5 years, while the house "settles", this is a fairly normal phenomenon, natural shrinkage.

The degree of danger of cracks in the wall

But restructuring or major reconstruction is already dangerous. The degree of danger is usually revealed as follows: climbers put plaster notes or strips of special paper. And within 3-4 weeks they control whether cracking will appear on the plaster mark. When the crack appears, you need to observe another 8-12 weeks. And if it really grows, be sure to contact an expert in the construction field.

Since in this case intervention is possible, strengthening in the existing foundation of the structure. Construction of additional reinforcing structures - trenches along the foundation with reinforcement and pouring. Moreover, the reinforcement must be connected to the existing foundation. Holes are drilled in the foundation, pieces of reinforcement are driven in, and on the other hand they are welded with laid rods. Such types of work can be performed only by experienced specialists. But we will not consider this extreme moment, but consider how to generally deal with the most dangerous cracks on our own.

How to repair cracks in the walls yourself?

If there is a problem - a crack in the wall of a panel house, and there is no idea what to do, first you should decide on its type. If the size of the crevice is insignificant, the easiest way is to eliminate it with mounting foam, with further plastering and putty. But do not fill large cracks with building foam or other components, as this will further accelerate crushing.

Through cracks are the most dangerous and their rather sensitive expansion will lead to the fall of the floor slabs. This exit can only be a temporary solution, for living in the winter, during which it is irrational to do.

In addition, professionals in many cases advise the use of gypsum mixtures, they are currently easy to find. The repair process is quite simple. The crack is “opened”, cleaned of dust, dirt, the surface is washed with water and dries.

After reading the instructions, it is mixed with water, stirred until a homogeneous mass without the presence of clots and the crack is closed.

Apply the solution with a spatula. Do not forget that gypsum tends to expand, so you need to make sure that there is a sufficient amount of mortar in the cracks. If you do not take this moment into account, there will be more gypsum than necessary, the crack will worsen, and a new displacement of the wall will occur.

At the end of the removal, you need to let the gypsum dry completely, this is about 5-6 hours. Then sandpaper to clean the remnants of gypsum. And admire the updated smooth wall.

You can also make a good old 3 to 1 mortar, parts sand to parts cement, by adding water. This solution will be most suitable for homogeneity to the panel wall. It is applied in the same way as gypsum mortar, with a spatula. Drying, it has less effect on the wall, only here you need to understand a little about the properties of sand, it should not be greasy.

To stop the development of large cracks, you can install a channel (anchor) or metal plates. To do this, the wall is cleaned of plaster, about 50 cm in each direction from the edge of the crack, plates are installed. They are fastened with dowels or long bolts, and for the second option, it is better to drill through the wall. First, everything should be prepared, cleaned and blown out with mounting foam, and then inserted into the prepared place of the anchor and secured with the indicated fasteners. Now information about what to do when a crack is found in the walls of a panel house is enough to resolve the issue.

Who should pay for cracks in the walls of a prefabricated house?

Responsibility of the management company regarding cracks in panel houses

To begin with, it is worth deciding on the situation, finding the real root cause. These are, perhaps, the builders themselves, as well as neighboring or third-party persons. To do this, you need to contact the management company or homeowners association, which first draw up an act, install beacons and control their position. And then follow the procedure described earlier. In case of a difficult situation, with a rather large crack, when the Criminal Code and the HOA do not take any action, it is worth making an application to the City Housing Inspectorate and waiting for the commission to appear.

But it is worth remembering that since 2010, the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation issued a decision, the essence of which is that this issue is fully assigned to the management company. And then she deals with the search for the root cause and the perpetrators, if any. The commission, in which an engineer from the BTI is required to be, must reflect in the act everything that is said regarding the cracks in question, objectively. It is also desirable to have neighbors as witnesses. Then the housing office must do something concrete. They should have a specific deadline for making a decision of 2-4 weeks, and after this period, you can prepare a letter to the local administration. Then seek the administration when it makes an independent construction expertise. Here you need to be persistent and not let go of the situation.

Remember what you will be told: cracking in prefabricated houses is a common occurrence, that you can do nothing. So globally, there is no reason to worry.

Answer

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 use, you can easily remove a blind crack 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 repair 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.