DIY Foundation Repair

Do-it-yourself house foundation repair is a pressing question that our clients often ask. Indeed, foundation problems often occur not in a multi-story building, industrial building or shopping center, but in an ordinary country house, cottage or bathhouse. And spending tens of thousands of rubles to pay for the services of a “specialized” organization that does not even guarantee the result is too expensive. Moreover, most of the work does not require special qualifications and can be done independently

The first and most important step is to identify the causes of defects in the foundation. If you have doubts about the causes of your problem, you can contact the technical specialists of the KTtron Plant for a free consultation by filling out an application on this page, or by contacting us using one of the contacts listed on the website in the "Contacts" section.

Our many years of experience show that the greatest number of mistakes when repairing a house foundation are made when determining the cause of the defects and, consequently, the wrong choice of technology for their elimination.

What factors can you encounter that lead to foundation failure?

One of the factors causing the destruction of foundations is subsidence. This is observed not only in new buildings, but also in established ones. The reason is various changes in the lower layers of soil, reducing the bearing capacity of the foundation. At the same time, underground rivers and pits dug nearby accelerate such changes.

In addition, the exploited foundation is affected by environmental factors that cause corrosion. These include the impact of liquid and gaseous aggressive environments. And the most intense destruction occurs in the zone of their simultaneous impact.

The mechanisms of destruction of foundation concrete are varied. Acids may form when certain gases interact with water, as well as when sulfates contained in soils dissolve. The components of cement stone are dissolved by acids and removed from the concrete structure, thereby weakening it. Moreover, poorly soluble products of chemical reactions may form and gradually accumulate in the concrete body. This process creates internal stress in the concrete body, which leads to the destruction of its structure and the formation of cracks.

Constant dampness in the contact zone promotes intensive growth of fungi and bacteria. Their metabolic products also destroy cement stone. Along with this, we often encounter foundations made of low-grade concrete. The corrosion processes and, as a consequence, destruction in these concretes occur much faster.

Let's list four main points that will help answer the question "how to repair a foundation?"

1. Stopping soil subsidence

First, it is necessary to determine at what stage the settling process is. Beacons installed on cracks provide objective data on the rate of subsidence of soils under the foundation. If the beacons quickly break, it is possible to draw a conclusion about the ongoing soil movements. And in this case, the settling of the foundation should be stopped immediately. If the beacons remain unchanged for a long time, then the settling has stopped, and urgent work to strengthen the foundation can be done without it.

To stop soil subsidence, we recommend using the injection compound Microlit GL-01. According to the instructions for use, the compound is pumped under the foundation base until the soil is completely saturated with the working solution, which, when mixed with the soil and hardened, gains strength and forms "soil concrete". We emphasize that if subsidence continues, it is recommended to repeat the pumping.

It will not be possible to repair the foundation of a house with your own hands using this technology if you do not have specialized equipment and experience. Therefore, if you need to strengthen the soil, contact an organization that can conduct an inspection, draw up an estimate and perform these works. This will allow you to significantly save your resources.

2. Repair of the house foundation with thixotropic compounds

If foundation surveys have shown that the damage is not widespread, it is possible to restore it without reinforcing the foundation. To do this, before starting repairs, thoroughly clean the foundation concrete from corrosion products, completely remove damaged and weakened areas, and widen cracks. It is recommended to wash the mechanically cleaned surface with high-pressure water using a milling cutter. Mold and other biological growths must be cleaned and treated with special compounds.

The sections prepared in this way are repaired with the KTtron-3 or KTtron-3 T500 composition, depending on the strength of the original foundation. These materials are highly thixotropic and are used to restore the damaged geometry of the structure, carefully filling all the voids with a spatula. As a result, the repaired foundation acquires the design strength.

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It is easiest to repair the foundation of a house with your own hands using this technology. To learn more about how this is done, watch the video below.

3. Strengthening the foundation with casting compounds

If the foundation is destroyed along the entire perimeter, sedimentary cracks and faults go deep underground, a cycle of works should be carried out to strengthen it. We will give one of the methods of strengthening the foundation, repeatedly used by specialists of the Plant "KT TRON":

• a trench is dug along the foundation wall;

• the surface of the foundation and walls is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and old plaster, damaged areas are removed, cracks are cleared and repaired;

• Then, at some distance from the wall, a metal mesh is attached to the anchors fixed in the foundation and base. The prepared casting repair compound KTtron-3 L400 is poured into the formwork installed at the required distance, usually 100–150 mm.

4. Protecting the foundation from negative factors

After carrying out repair work, it is necessary to protect the foundation from the impact of unfavorable factors that cause its destruction. For this purpose, a water-dilutable protective composition based on modified epoxy resins "KTprotect E-01" is used.

For guaranteed protection, it is necessary to apply 4 layers, 40-50 microns thick, drying each applied layer according to the technology. The foundation treated in this way is guaranteed to serve for many years without destruction.

If you have questions about the choice of technology and materials for your case, leave a request for a free consultation on our website, or contact us in any way convenient for you. And our specialists will select the most optimal solution for you, which is guaranteed to allow you to achieve the result and never return to this problem again.