Low Pressure Liquid Epoxy Injection for Concrete Repair

A crack in your foundation or concrete basement walls is never a good sign - but that doesn’t mean the structural integrity of your home or business is lost. The professionals at USS can repair concrete cracks and fractures and restore its strength with low-pressure epoxy injection, a process that helps seal the concrete and create a barrier against water seepage.

What Causes Cracks in a Foundation?

Low-pressure liquid epoxy injection can be used to repair some cracks that are caused by environmental factors or foundation movement, such as:

• Small breaks in the concrete substrate are permeated by moisture that then expands and contracts based on the weather, leading to visible leaking cracks
• Any movement while the foundation settles into the ground around can cause the small breaks in the substrate to separate, resulting in leaking cracks
• If the soil the foundation is placed on is lacking moisture, it may shrink, causing the foundation to shift into any gaps and eventually crack

How Epoxy Injections Work

The first step is cleaning and prepping the surface of the concrete so the epoxy bonds properly to the area. If necessary, we may widen the crack a small amount to ensure the best bonding and finish of your epoxy. The epoxy is injected using a minimum of two ports and then the top of the crack is sealed with an epoxy paste. We start with a low-pressure injection and increase the pressure if needed.

When is Concrete Repair Epoxy the Best Choice?

Using epoxies is a minimally invasive and relatively fast solution when basement crack repair and concrete foundation crack repair are needed. Epoxy injections work best for smaller cracks with little to no movement because once the epoxy has cured, it’s susceptible to cracking if the concrete continues to shift. This method is also not the ideal way to repair large rifts in a concrete pad, when mud jacking or foam jacking repair is more appropriate. Concrete repair epoxy works well on cracks that are visible from both sides of the concrete, like a basement wall, where both ends can be injected with epoxy, allowing it to reach and seal the deepest part of the crack. The best way to know if epoxy injection is the right choice for you is to reach out to our team to assess the damage and provide an estimate.

Why Low Pressure Injection?

Low pressure injection, whether of epoxy or polyurethane foam, works best when there is a slow and gradual introduction of the material into the crack at a low pressure. While the process may take more time initially, this method prevents mistakes and repair failure in the long term. The main benefits of low pressure injection when compared to high pressure injection is:

• There’s typically no need to drill into the concrete
• Lower equipment costs
• Easier cleanup
• Less potential for injury or accident caused by high pressure
• Less potential for stress damage on the concrete to occur

Call the Experts at USS today!

Contact United Structural Systems of Illinois to discuss getting your crack repaired using our low pressure liquid epoxy injection method and get an estimate for your home or business.