What and how to seal a crack in the brick wall of the house with their own hands? Step-by-step instructions and recommendations

With such a problem as cracks in the walls, many owners of brick country houses face. Of course, you need to eliminate such defects as quickly 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 lead even to the collapse of the building.

Step-by-step instruction

Filling of cracks in brick walls is usually carried out in several stages. To eliminate such a defect, you need:

• Determine the nature of its occurrence;
• To eliminate the revealed defects with the purpose of prevention of expansion of a crack;
• Carry out a control check;
• Depending on the width of the crack and its nature, choose the method of its elimination.

Actually, there are several ways of closing:

• With the use of cement mortar;
• With the use of mounting foam;
• By replacing the damaged section of the masonry.

The main reasons for the appearance of a defect

How and how to repair cracks in the walls of a brick house? The answer to this question depends on many factors. Before proceeding to eliminate such a defect, of course, it is necessary to find out, because of what, in fact, he could have appeared. Most often, cracks are a consequence of non-compliance with construction technology. This may be, for example, an incorrectly selected type of foundation or a roof structure, various kinds of technology violations during masonry, etc. Also, cracks in the walls often appear:

• As a result of an incorrect redistribution of the load on the walls (with the building superstructure or with its re-planning);
• Due to temperature deformations;
• When laying utilities under the foundation;
• When constructing a basement floor under an already constructed building without strengthening the base;
• As a result of wear and aging of the material.

Sometimes cracks can arise due to a decrease in the bearing capacity of the soil under the building. This often happens, for example, because of the redistribution of groundwater.

According to the standards, repair of cracks in brick walls should be made only after the elimination of the revealed cause of their appearance. That is, if necessary, it is necessary first to strengthen the foundation, to do the screeding of the wall with the help of metal locks, to increase its bearing capacity, etc. In any case, cracks are allowed only those cracks that have already ceased to expand.

How to determine the stability of a defect

To learn that the crack has stopped to disperse is completely uncomplicated. To do this, you just need to paste across it a few beacon notes. If they do not rupture in about a couple of weeks, then the cracking has stopped. Stick the paper is the easiest for PVA. You can also use the glue "Moment".

How to seal a crack in the brick wall of the house: the choice of technique

As soon as the problem that caused the crack appeared, it will be solved, it is possible to start the actual work on the embedding. In brick walls this procedure is usually performed:

• With cement mortar;
• With the use of mounting foam.

With the use of cement mixture, it is easy to remove a blind crack from the wall. Brick masonry is usually finished with a rather thick layer of plaster. It is in her most often appear such defects. Cement mortar, as well as assembly foam, 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 section of the masonry will have to be disassembled.

How to seal a crack in the wall with your own hands, if it is blind

There are such defects in the plaster, usually after it dries due to a violation of the application technology, as well as due to aging of the material, etc. In any case, eliminate the blind crack yourself will not be difficult.

The methods and order of sealing cracks in brick walls (blind) depend on what exactly is a defect. Very often on the plastered surface appear, for example, the so-called "spider", that is, a grid of small cracks. To get rid of this defect, you must first clean the problem area completely. To do this most easily with the help of a narrow metal spatula. After the destroyed plaster is eliminated, it is possible to start finishing the area with a new layer of gypsum or cement-sand mixture. Before it is applied, the masonry should be cleaned of dust and watered with a broom.

Sometimes in the plaster appear and some large cracks. Such defects usually occur in the vicinity of windows and doors. Most often, their appearance is due to the progress of the house. To eliminate such defects, they must first be expanded. To do this, you can use a chisel or any other suitable tool for this job. Further, the crack should be thoroughly cleaned from dust and dirt. This is most easily done with a conventional household vacuum cleaner.

After the crack is cleared, its internal surface must be watered with a spray gun. Cement mortar is prepared in a 1: 3 ratio. You can also buy a special dry mix in the store. Fill the crack with a solution with an excess. In the end, he must close it completely and even step out a little. In the still fresh solution, you need to press (along the entire length of the crack) reinforcing mesh tape. After a few minutes, a little more mortar should be applied to the wall. In the end, the tape should be closed with the mixture completely. After the solution has dried, the repaired area should be treated with a special float.

Fixing of narrow through cracks in a brickwork with a concrete mix

The solution in this case must be done on the basis of high grade cement (preferably M400). As plasticizer for cracks up to 5 mm wide, river sand is commonly used. Of course, before starting work, it must necessarily be sifted. If the width of the crack exceeds 5 mm, a bit of fine quarry sand should be added to the mixture. In order for such a procedure, as the sealing of cracks in brick walls with their own hands, was successful, it is desirable to drive metal T-shaped anchors (with fixation onto the dowels) before using the concrete mix in the cavity.

Also, additional strengthening can be done with a special metal lock (thick plate). The latter is fixed across the crack on the anchor. Install the lock during the development of the defect. If the crack expands from the bottom up, the plate is placed closer to the overlap. Sometimes the wall is strengthened and with the help of ordinary steel staples. 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 the brick wall of the house, in fact, is given above. This procedure is carried out approximately by the same technology as when adjusting the plaster. That is, first the expansion and cleaning of the crack is performed. Then, its cavity is moistened with water from the atomizer. Further, the crack is clogged with cement mortar.

Use of mounting foam

This material will also help answer the question of how to repair a crack in the brick wall of the house. However, use the mounting foam carefully. When applying it, one should always keep in mind the fact that, expanding, it is capable of increasing the crack. Therefore, the foam should be applied in small amounts. In the future, in the right places, you can simply add it.

After the foam has dried completely, a sweep should be done. First, the excess material protruding outwards is simply cut off with a sharp knife. Then the foam is cleaned over the crack to a depth of several millimeters. This is necessary to ensure that the applied plaster layer is as durable as possible and not subsequently crumbled. To further strengthen the finish in this case, it is also desirable to use a mesh band.

How to seal a wide crack

So, let's find out how to seal a crack in the brick wall of the house, if it's not too big. Defects wider than 10.1 mm, as already mentioned, can be eliminated only by dismantling the masonry. You need to do this procedure as carefully as possible. Begin disassembly of the masonry exclusively from the uppermost row. Knock out bricks from the wall can not.

The replacement of the new brickwork is done according to the principle of "lock" with the dressing of the seams. In this case, reinforcing metal plates are used. The latter must overlap the gap completely. Instead of the plates, you can use the usual thick reinforcement.

Instead of concluding

Thus, we have found out how to seal a crack in the brick wall of the house. The methods described in the article are suitable for residential buildings, as well as for commercial or industrial buildings. The main thing when eliminating such defects is precisely to adhere to the put technology. In this case, the crack will never reappear, and the wall itself will perform its functions as effectively as possible.