Shrinkage Cracks In Basement Floor

If temperatures drop while your basement cures that can cause cracks.

Shrinkage cracks in basement floor.

Basic steps for repairing a basement floor crack. Shrinkage cracks in concrete floor slabs are expected and very common and do not compromise structural integrity. An excessively wet mix is a contributing factor to shrinkage in concrete. If you think the concrete floor is done moving you can repair those cracks and the shrinkage cracks with an epoxy material you inject into the crack and add a silica sand for a filler.

I think that slab shrinkage cracks appear early in building life are not structural and are less likely to suddenly telegraph through a ceramic tile floor. As the concrete dries it will shrink. Some contractors cut or form a grid of small grooves in the slab to keep the shrinkage cracks in an orderly grid which looks better than random cracks but functions the same way. This will weld the crack together creating an excellent basement floor repair.

Shrinkage cracking can be managed by the use of control joints placed in the slab. These types of cracks do not represent a structural concern. The two primary parts of concrete are cement and water. To be accurate severe shrinkage cracks in a slab could show up in a tiled floor if the floor were not properly installed to prevent those cracks from telegraphing through the tile but.

Concrete mortar grout and stucco can shrink and crack for months after construction as they slowly dry and lose moisture. The degree of shrinkage is largely affected by temperature. Plastic shrinkage cracks are typically very narrow in width and barely visible. After it s poured it cures to become solid.

Small cracks in the basement floor commonly result from shrinkage as the concrete dries which pulls the concrete apart. Causes of basement concrete cracks shrinkage. These types of cracks can show up as long as a year after the basement floor is poured depending on how quickly the slab dries and how humid the basement is. While nearly invisible it is important to remember that plastic shrinkage cracks don t just exist on the surface they extend throughout the entire thickness of the slab.

Hairline cracks need no repair and are not indicative of a larger problem. In this case while repairs to the basement floor or perhaps better a new basement floor slab were in order the root cause of high water levels under the basement floor needed to be addressed first.