How To Repair A Crack In Brick And Plastered Walls

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

Surface restoration
General technology of work
Features of the repair depending on the wall material

For an ordinary, even the most ordinary cosmetic repairs in the form of wallpapering, in addition to the usual troubles, as usual, problems are also much more serious. Most often these are cracks in the walls, at the junction of floor slabs and concrete floor screed. And here, of course, you have to make adjustments to the estimate and schedule, because sealing cracks in the wall comes first in importance, without which further work loses all meaning.

Surface restoration

For modern buildings, built from more advanced materials and elements, cracks, unfortunately, are not something special and unusual. The shrinkage of the building structure, the impact of external factors, the presence of manufacturing defects, all this leads to the formation of zones of tension and, in the end, the resolution of the problem of excessive loads on the building element in the form of cracks.

To seal cracks in a wall, first of all, it is necessary to understand the cause of their occurrence, the dynamics of the development of rupture deformation and the material of which the wall is composed.

And if one can put forward hypotheses regarding the cause - from shrinkage to an earthquake, then one must be very careful with the rate of crack formation, the rate of development of material stratification may indicate the beginning of dangerous trends up to the destruction of the building. And if cracks on the walls appear with great speed, then you will have to forget about cosmetic repairs, since we will already talk about a major overhaul of the building.

But, for the most part, the repair of cracks in the wall is associated with the sealing of surface cracks, small in volume, without the use of special equipment and technology. Common cracks are characterized by:

small-sized stratification of the surface layer of the plaster;
placement of cracks in freezing points, in the corners of the room and in the area of / u200b / u200bthe location of windows, where moisture accumulates;
in places with high temperatures - near heating appliances and stoves;
in places where additional equipment is installed and other work is carried out, for example, a wall bar or a ventilation hood, where you have to punch through the walls.

General technology of work

To seal cracks in the walls of a house, it is necessary to clearly understand the sequence and methods of work, the features of the actions and the materials used - that is, the technology of work.

The first stage is always the study of problem areas, in the process of which the following are determined:

the degree of destruction of the integrity of the cover;
crack depth and volume;
broken component parts of the wall and features of the material of which it consists;
the possibility of using various methods of work and building materials.

Surface cracks in the plastered wall must, in addition, be cleaned of the plaster layer that has lost its integrity and the internal damage must be examined. In case of significant damage and the presence of significant cavities in a brick or concrete wall, additional work must be carried out to fill the voids. For such work, polyurethane foam is most often used as a material for sealing cracks inside the wall, it easily and conveniently fills all the voids, forming a reliable plug.

In more serious cases, when the size of the discrepancy reaches 5 cm, the mixture for sealing cracks is prepared on the basis of cement mortar and then, using a trowel and a spatula, is laid inside the cavity.

For the reliability of the connection when sealing cracks in an apartment, various reinforcing agents are used - metal plaster nets, plastic nets and reinforcing tapes. For small areas, such a solution is quite justified, however, if the occurrence of cracks is systematic, such means will be applicable as temporary measures.

After filling the voids inside the wall in the place of the crack and applying the reinforcing layer, plastering is carried out. For the reinforcing layer, both conventional ready-made plaster mixtures and cement and cement-lime mortar are applicable. It is possible to use tile adhesive and waterproofing mixtures.

Features of the repair depending on the wall material

Sealing cracks in brick walls is more efficiently carried out on a wetted brickwork surface, a metal mesh, in addition, it can be fixed in several places with self-tapping screws or nails. Next, a layer of solution is applied and actively rubbed through the mesh with a float.

A feature of the repair of cracks in the walls of the house is the need to take into account the materials from which the plaster is made, for lime plaster during repair it is necessary to use a lime mortar, and for cement, cement is better suited.

The device of the surface layer during the repair of cracks in the brick walls inside the building, ready-made putty mixtures, starting composition and finishing putty, are used. For small-sized areas, a small package of mixtures of each type is quite enough. The final embedding is carried out after complete drying of the cement mortars of the inner layers. Putty is applied after surface treatment with acrylic primer.

A layer of starting putty can be laid up to 5 mm thick, and a finishing layer no more than 3 mm. It is recommended to prime each layer after it is completely dry, this procedure will ensure the strength of the layer and facilitate the application of the next layer of material.

To seal cracks in a concrete wall, it is imperative to use a soil composition; application is recommended depending on the extent of damage. For deep cracks, the primer can be sprayed with a glass cleaner spray; shallow cracks can be brushed on.

Tile adhesive has excellent binding properties, which is perfect for sealing cracks in the wall.

Concrete surfaces are repaired both with the use of conventional cement mortars and with the help of ready-made dry mixes, such mixes containing biting components are excellent for repair and restoration work of concrete walls without putty, and already having a coating. Concrete walls in panel buildings and buildings built using monolithic-frame technology are usually sealed without a reinforcing mesh. However, such discrepancies are repaired without fail with filling the entire cavity with a repair mixture.