How to get rid of cracks in the corners of walls. How to repair a crack in a wall: tips on choosing material, known methods of dealing with holes, secrets for beginners

There are many reasons why cracks appear in the walls of houses made of various materials and they all differ from each other. Their appearance does not depend on how old the house is; they can equally occur in both old and new buildings. If cracks are detected, you should not immediately panic, since in most cases this problem can be completely solved on your own.

Even small cracks can greatly spoil even the most attractive renovation of a room, which is why they pay such close attention. There are currently several possible options removing cracks. To do this, it is necessary to follow all stages of work in order to obtain the most effective result. But before you begin to correct the defect that appears, you should identify the cause of its occurrence.

Causes of cracks in walls

If the cracks that were found on the walls of a residential building do not exceed one millimeter in thickness, then there is no reason to worry. Some builders believe that these types of small cracks are a common occurrence and generally acceptable.

The reason for the formation of cracks can be structural defects or a poor-quality foundation that subsides unevenly and the soil underneath changes. Another reason may be non-compliance with construction technology, in which the material used becomes deformed, picking up moisture or drying out. An error is also possible when distributing the load on the foundation and walls, and much more.

Thus, the reasons can be quite different, but nevertheless it is possible to identify the main ones that occur most often:

1. Problems with foundation shrinkage;

2. Shift of the plaster base;

3. The appearance of wall deformation due to temperature changes;

4. Overloading of individual sections;

5. Failure to comply with technology when punching various openings.

The most serious problem is uneven shrinkage of the foundation, which will require a large number of time, effort and financial costs. In this case, it is necessary to study the foundation and load-bearing walls in detail, after which one can judge the causes of subsidence and, if possible, eliminate them. Only after these conditions are met can you begin to remove cracks in the walls.

The reasons for foundation subsidence may be inhomogeneous soil or improper distribution of the load on the foundation. Another reason may be the proximity of groundwater, which washes away the soil from under the foundation. The same result will be caused by a malfunction of the sewerage or water supply system, leaks of which can undermine the foundation of the house. The reliability and stability of the foundation of the house will be directly related to the quality of the materials used and the reliability of the installed waterproofing.

A shift in the base of the plaster will also require a detailed study of the supporting structures and identification of the reasons for its occurrence. In cases where such a situation occurs in a newly built house, it is worth waiting one year so that the house can stabilize.

After cracks have been discovered, they must be observed for twenty days to determine whether the crack continues to expand or is in a dormant state. To do this, you can use special beacons that, using a plate, record the position of the crack. At the same time, you should find out the reasons for this problem.

If no changes were observed during the entire time, then we can assume that the crack development process has ended. In this case, work on sealing them will not require much time and effort. But you shouldn’t delay this, because if moisture gets in there or weathering occurs, the crack will become much larger.

In cases where cracks have increased during the period of observation, it is first necessary to eliminate the cause of their appearance by carrying out a series of works to stop the shrinkage of the foundation or other plan. After this, you can proceed directly to filling the cracks.

Methods for removing small cracks

If small cracks appear in the walls of the house, which do not increase in size or develop, they can be removed on their own, without a particularly large investment of time and money. To do this, you can use various cosmetic methods that will help reliably hide the places where cracks appear.

Very often, such a problem occurs in families where there are no qualified builders, so the most acceptable and affordable way would be to fill the entire space of the crack with the help of special substances. Some of them require preliminary preparation, others are on sale ready for use. Various putties are especially well suited for these purposes; they cope with the assigned tasks perfectly.

For very small cracks, acrylic putty is also suitable. It is practical and easy to use, without requiring special knowledge and experience. If necessary, after drying, this material can be painted the surface in the desired tone.

Deeper cracks are first prepared for work. First, the crack must be deepened so as to reach the brick cladding. In this case, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the crack from pieces of plaster and dust. A vacuum cleaner is very suitable for this, with the help of which cleaning will take a minimum of time.

To ensure the best adhesion of the putty to the wall surface, the cleaned crack should be thoroughly wetted. After waiting a few minutes, you can begin filling the gap. It is important to remember that larger cracks will require the use of a special reinforced tape, which will add strength and eliminate the possibility of reoccurrence. This tape must be laid out along the entire length of the crack, after which putty can be applied, completely filling the voids. The putty only needs two hours to dry, after which you can move on to final stage works The place where the crack was is cleaned, and then painted or pasted.

Removing deep cracks in walls outside a building

In some houses, cracks appear on almost the entire wall outside the house. Solving this problem is more troublesome and costly, but it can be solved. An option to solve this problem could be the use of insulating panels. They may vary in thickness. Their use is more desirable throughout the wall, rather than fragmentary.

In some cases, when the cracks are especially large and the cause is severe subsidence of the foundation, you can attract specialists in their field who will fill the so-called “armour-belt”, which will tighten the walls of the house and prevent cracks from developing and appearing in the future.

If the crack is not yet so large, but there is a possibility of its further expansion, you can independently tie the sides of the crack by making special brackets. This work involves performing several stages. This:

1. Cleaning the crack from debris and dust;

2. Making the necessary bracket;

3. Mounting the bracket;

4. Putty the crack.

Initially, the crack, like small internal cracks, must be thoroughly cleaned of dust and debris. Moreover, at the same time the area where the problem itself is located is cleared. Here you can use the most convenient tool. The depth of the crack is cleaned no less than the entire depth of the plaster layer, and at the same time, the wall masonry material is sawed down to two centimeters.

After the crack and the wall are prepared, it is necessary to make a fastening element - a bracket. You can use any available metal as a material, but the best staples will come from medium-sized building reinforcement, which must be cut to the required length. Using a bench vice, bend the ends of the reinforcement at the required distance. In this case, a corresponding groove must be prepared on the wall in which the bracket will completely fit. In this case, it is necessary to accurately check the size compliance so as not to do unnecessary work. Next, the curved edges of the workpiece should be sharpened in any convenient way.

Installation involves fixing the bracket across the crack that has occurred. In this case, the bracket should be completely hidden in the groove so as not to spoil the surface of the wall. Next, holes are drilled for the bent ends of the workpiece, since driving the staples with a hammer can lead to collapse or even greater divergence of the crack. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the dimensions of the holes correspond to the thickness of the reinforcement taken. The depth also needs to be controlled; there is no need for an excessively deep hole. If everything was done correctly, the bracket will sit tightly and securely in the prepared place.

Now you can proceed to the final, fourth stage. The solution is prepared, then the surface of the crack is well wetted, after which it is necessary to wait fifteen minutes for the surface of the wall to become saturated with water. Next, using construction tools, you need to fill the crack and groove with the bracket. Then, using a spatula, level the place where the crack was flush with the rest of the wall. Next, the required amount of time is given for the solution to properly harden and gain hardness. After this has happened, you can begin to apply paint or another decorative finishing layer.

Thus, when cracks appear, regardless of their size and location, it is possible to correct this defect yourself, spending relatively little time and effort.

An unexpectedly opened crack in the brick wall of a newly built
or a residential, public or residential building built several years ago
industrial building is a signal indicating the occurrence
pre-emergency situation, the causes of which must be found and
opportunities to eliminate.
A crack is the first sign of danger
Cracks
along the vertical and horizontal seams of the masonry walls of buildings there are no
only in brick buildings: recently very popular construction may have the same problems. This means that defects
this kind of single roots, independent of the size and material of the stones,
from which the walls of a building or structure are lined. Small width
opening of cracks does not affect the appearance of buildings and, photos of which can be viewed on our website, maintain strict
the geometry of the seams on their facades.
However, when the width of the cracks
exceeds 5 mm, such a defect becomes visible from afar. Except
negative visual impression, the crack is a conductor
cold, and water that gets into it and subsequently freezes can
speed up the destruction of the wall. Such deformations occur not only in
multi-storey buildings, for manor-type houses, a crack in the brick
wall is also a common occurrence.



It is very important to see the damage
masonry, do not delay determining the reasons for its occurrence and the path
elimination, and contact specialists. It is difficult to detect wall deformation in cases where
a hinged façade system has been laid covering the surface of the brick
walls, however, are the most dangerous – through cracks that can be detected
not only from the outside, but also from the inside.
Causes of cracks in the wall
A powerful impetus for the occurrence of wall deformations is the uneven settlement of foundations, which can be caused by:

• unreliability or incompleteness of engineering-geological surveys. For example: no layer of soft soils was detected, mechanical
  whose characteristics are insufficient to bear the load from
  building structures. Or: during field work when extracting cores, a violation of their structure occurred, which is why they were incorrectly identified
  strength parameters of the soil, which led to subsidence of the structure.
• initially incorrectly executed foundation or foundation. Here maybe
  be poor quality waterproofing and drainage, which led to
  soaking the soil under the building, or a small area of ​​the foundation base,
  because of which the load on the ground turned out to be greater than permissible.
• improper operation of building engineering systems. In this case, a crack in the brick wall may occur due to water supply leaks
  or sewerage with subsequent soaking of the soil.

Exists possibility of groundwater appearing on the site, which changed their course
because of the new buildings that have arisen along its path. Such situations are often
arise when building large areas, when engineering-geological
surveys are carried out not on the entire territory, but on each
individual plot separately. In this case there is a risk
change the direction of groundwater movement in an unpredictable
direction.



A crack appeared in the wall. So what to do?
Should
know what to do if there is a crack in a brick wall
appeared. First of all, it is necessary to invite specialists who
will be able to find the causes of deformations and determine methods
preventing their further development. Also from the moment of discovery
cracks, cement marks should be installed on them: in 2-3 places along
make small rectangles of cement mortar along the length of the crack
several millimeters thick in order to understand whether
the deformation continues or it has already stopped. If the stamps remain intact
for 2-3 weeks, which means most likely a drawdown
ended and you need to think about how to repair the cracks in order to preserve and
exterior of the house, and prevent the wall from freezing in this place. If
stamps are cracked, then deformations continue, and it will be necessary to develop and
carry out serious, expensive activities, including possible
strengthening walls and foundations.
Most often, to eliminate the possibility of further soaking of foundation soils, the following measures are recommended:

• installation of reinforced adhesive waterproofing of the foundation and basement walls. For this you can use
  various weld-on rolled materials offered by the retail chain in
  wide range.
• repair and increase in width of the blind area, and
  installation of a drainage system around the perimeter of the building, which will allow
  prevent soaking of foundation soils by rain and melt water.
• inspection and repair of pipeline joints, taking place in the basement of the house and next to it.

If
these measures will not be enough, then the foundation will have to be strengthened.
One of the most effective methods of amplification is the device
inclined piles that are placed under the foundation of the finished house and
transfer the load from its weight to the ground, which has the necessary
strength characteristics. After completing the repair work
causes of drawdown and preventing the possibility of its occurrence in
in the future, the crack in the brick wall can be completely sealed
depth.

The appearance of cracks in the brick walls of buildings causes big problems for homeowners, because this defect cannot be classified as cosmetic - it directly affects the safety of living in such a structure. Measures must be taken immediately, choosing a repair method depending on the nature of the cracks.

The reconstruction technology will be determined by the causes of cracks. They can be divided into permanent and temporary.

The permanent ones include:

Temporary reasons include:

• natural shrinkage deformation of the building after its construction;
• loads on the surface next to temporary walls: storage of building materials;
• defects in the construction process that arise, for example, at the junction of old and newly built walls, when the order of masonry is not observed, etc.;
• wear of building bricks during long-term use under the influence of humidity and ambient temperature.

It is not advisable to repair cracks of the first group without eliminating the causes of their occurrence, since they will appear again and again. When the appearance of cracks is due to temporary reasons and their width does not increase over time, then the repair work will be most effective. In this case, cosmetic and strengthening procedures will be sufficient.

The constant impact of negative factors on a building can cause not only its deformation, but also destruction, so this cannot be done without the help of specialists and serious reconstruction.

Methods for sealing cracks in brick walls

Repair work will vary significantly depending on the size of the cracks, their direction and the degree of stabilization. To understand whether a crack has stabilized or not, place plaster beacons or a plate beacon with a scale and observe them. If the plaster remains intact for a long time, restoration work can begin.

If the width of the cracks is small - up to 5 mm, they are sealed with cement mortar or a special sealant. To repair indoor walls, you can use a gypsum-based solution.

The outer part of the crack is first expanded, its cavity is cleaned of construction debris, moistened generously with plain water and allowed to dry. Then they fill it with solution, pushing it as deep as possible. This area is sealed along with the wall and masked with some finishing material.

With large cracks it is much more difficult. In addition to adding the solution, they need to be further strengthened. To do this, metal plates are used to cover the cavity across. They are secured with anchor bolts. Such a metal anchor is secured in the direction of development of the crack: if it expands towards the top of the wall, then the anchor is attached from above.

2 plates are installed on a through crack, and the bolts are passed through the wall. As an alternative, steel staples can be driven into the masonry on both sides. To seal wide cracks, I also use brick locks: you will need to remove cracked bricks from the masonry and install intact ones in their place.

Two steel plates with tension bolts passed through the wall are placed on through cracks.

An effective method is cementation of cracks: through holes made in the wall using gas pipes with a diameter of 1-2 cm and a special pump, cement mortar is pumped under pressure into the cavity of the cracks. It not only fills voids, but also creates cross-fastening, since the holes are drilled according to a specific pattern.

Steel clips whose size and design depend on the width of the wall

When a crack appeared in a brick wall outer wall, sealing and strengthening is carried out with steel clips, choosing the design and size according to the width of the wall. If cracks threaten the integrity of the building, then you cannot do without metal rods, which are installed both from the outside and from the outside. inside walls They envelop the entire building in a secure steel corset.

a – installation of a brick castle; b – brick castle with an anchor; reinforcement with plates with tension bolts (c – flat wall; d – wall corner); d – repair of a through crack using steel staples; e – repair at the point where the floor slab rests; g – strengthening of the cracked wall.
1- Brick wall; 2- crack; 3 – brick castle; 4 – cement mortar; 5 – coupling bolt; 6 – channel (anchor); 7 – steel plate; 8 – staples (installation step 50 cm); 9 – floor slab; 10 – brick wall; 11 – corner; 12 – finishing layer.

To avoid serious problems in the future when operating a house, you need to initially monitor the process of its construction and compliance with all technical standards, and take into account the recommendations of the designers. This is the key to comfortable and safe living in the house.

Sooner or later, almost every property owner is faced with such an unpleasant thing as the discovery of a crack. And the reasons for this can be very diverse. This article will talk about repairing cracks in the walls of a house.

Preventing cracks in the walls of a new home

The appearance of cracks on the surface of the walls does not bode well. At best, you'll have to do it again. Finishing work, but I don’t even want to think about the worst options. However, it is difficult for the average person to assess the level of threat, so it is worth resorting to the services of specialized organizations that will carry out design and survey work. The result will be an act that will indicate the reasons for the appearance of these defects, the dynamics of development, a conclusion about the hazard class, as well as recommendations ( design solution) to eliminate them.

Most residents, seeing cracks, begin to sound the alarm and contact housing companies and other similar services. Upon arrival of specialists, it turns out that the cracks were formed due to temperature changes, low-quality finishing materials or their natural wear and tear. However, in such situations, finding out the origin of the various depressions and sizes of the crevices will not be superfluous.

General information

• It should be remembered that any building structures must meet the relevant standards and a number of important requirements. When a structure ceases to resist operational loads, it begins to collapse. This state is called limiting. The resulting damage does not allow further operation of the building.
• Therefore, if any element of a structure (foundation, floors, walls) ceases to meet certain standards and rules, it means that it has reached a limiting state. As a result, signs of wear and tear begin to appear, namely cracks. various forms and sizes. And the larger they are, the wider the depth of opening, the more dangerous they are.

• But the appearance of small cracks, the so-called cobwebs, in new buildings does not pose any danger. After all, the reason for this is the natural subsidence of the building. After 3-6 months, new microcracks stop appearing, and old ones stop expanding.
• The progression of cracks should alert you; this indicates the beginning of structural destruction. Here measures should be taken to eliminate the cause of destruction.

Cracks in the walls of wooden houses

• As for wooden buildings, cracks often occur under the influence of moisture retained in the inner layers of timber or logs. Their formation can be minimized by compensatory cutting, which is performed along the entire length of the lumber with a depth of no more than 1/5 of the log diameter.

• In cases where large cracks have formed in an exploited building, there is no need to panic. Such defects are harmless and do not in any way affect the user properties of the walls. To be convinced of this, just look at the log cabins riddled with cracks in remote villages that have stood there for several decades.
• Therefore, sealing cracks in wooden houses This is done for aesthetics only. The materials used are different, but, unfortunately, none of them have a long service life:
  • sealant cannot provide long-term adhesion to wood. This seal will last no more than 2-3 seasons. But after peeling off, you can apply a new layer on top of the old one, but again it will last for a couple of years;

• Polyethylene foam bundles are designed for interior spaces, therefore their use is inappropriate;
• any solid compositions are also not suitable for this type of structure. The tree constantly absorbs and releases moisture back, changing its size depending on the time of year. This is why any sealing material peels off
• The best option for sealing cracks in wooden surfaces is by caulking with moss or flax-hemp braids.

Why do cracks form in the walls of a brick house?

The appearance of this kind of defect on walls made of brick, foam blocks or aerated concrete can be influenced by various reasons, the most common are:

• violation of the masonry process (thickened horizontal seams, lack of dressing and reinforcement);
• poor-quality material and/or incorrectly mixed solution (violation of proportions when mixing, that is, by eye);
• use of building materials for other purposes (for example, a silicate product cannot be used in rooms with high humidity);
• combining materials with different characteristics (the combination of clay bricks and cinder blocks is unacceptable);
• uneven shrinkage of the foundation.

Formation of cracks in reinforced concrete structures occurs due to the following factors:

• non-compliance with concrete pouring technology (low vibration, quick drying, error in the recipe when mixing the concrete solution);
• mechanical deformations, external load (absence of expansion joints and omission or reduction in the amount of reinforcement);
• uneven settlement of the base.

Cracks in the wall what to do

You can patch up the cracks different ways, their disclosure will determine the choice of material.

• If the depth of the crack is small, then it is plastered with sand-cement mortar, with the addition of PVA glue or cement putty for external use. Of course, the previously damaged area and the adjacent part of the wall must be cleaned of crumbling fragments, dusted, treated with a primer, and reinforcing tape applied.

• A medium-sized crack is sealed using a metal mesh. Here, all cracked coating is removed and must be primed. Next, holes are drilled for the dowels in increments of 25-30 cm. A mesh with 5x5 cm cells is attached to the surface using screws with wide washers. If the emergency area is large and it is necessary to lay another strip of reinforcing material, then this is done with an overlap (at least 10 cm). The cement-based plaster is pressed into the mesh so that it is attached to the wall. After light leveling, you need to wait until it dries completely, and only then apply the next finishing layer.
• You can also use polyurethane foam- the gap is foamed, after drying, the remains are cut off, and then finishing materials are applied (plaster, painting, etc.).

Drastic methods for eliminating a crack in the wall of a house

Determining whether a crack is progressing is quite simple. To do this, take paper strips that are glued across the crack in several places (top, bottom and middle). Then everything is simple, if the paper is torn, then it is accordingly necessary to identify and eliminate the causes of this defect.

Tip: a gypsum plate can also act as a beacon. You can take plastic (glass) elements that fit tightly together and are attached on opposite sides of the crack. Once every 7-10 days, the beacons are inspected, data is recorded and compared with the original records. Their displacement or deformation signals the development (expansion) of the gap.

Anchor installation

• You can stop the “spreading” of large cracks with a wide opening using an anchor (channel). First, the plaster is knocked down to the length of the metal plate; if this parameter is 1 meter, then the area is cleaned 50 cm on each side of the gap. The depth of the groove must correspond to the thickness of the metal.
• Depending on the thickness of the wall, the material from which it is made, as well as its condition, fastening is carried out using dowels, anchor bolts or long bolts with a nut. In the latter case, the wall is drilled through.

• The crack and grooves are cleaned and filled with polyurethane foam. The anchor is inserted into the recess and secured with hardware. It is better to install the tightening system in 3 places, stepping back a little from the beginning and end of the gap, and in the middle. Then the reinforcing material is installed and the emergency zone is plastered.
• Instead of plates, staples will do. You can prepare them yourself; to do this, take reinforcement of the required length; you must take into account the bending of both ends of the metal by approximately 15-20 cm.
• Grooves are prepared across the crack in several places so that the metal bracket sits a little deeper in relation to the surface. For example, if the cross-section of the reinforcement is 10 mm, then the depth of the groove should be 13-15 mm.
• Holes for the ends of the workpiece are drilled with the appropriate diameter and equal to its length. You should not hammer a bracket into a wall, as this may cause a crack to widen or cause destruction of the area adjacent to it.
• Next, standard manipulations are performed: cleaning, priming, reinforcement, plastering.

Diagnosis of cracks by specialists

• If the manipulations carried out did not lead to a positive result (cracks expand or appear in other areas), then the time has come to correct the mistakes made during the construction of the structure.
• To do this, you should contact a specialized company that will conduct research and offer the optimal solution to this difficult issue. Specialists will prepare a restoration project structural elements building.

The result will depend on the violations detected during the construction process:

• dismantling the emergency wall and relaying brick and block rows;
• performance monolithic design- reinforcing belt;
• strengthening of supports or their complete replacement;
• restoration of the blind area;
• elongation load-bearing wall and strengthening of the walls.

How to repair a crack in a wall inside a house

There are many factors that influence the appearance of different “caliber” of cracks and cracks on the walls and ceilings of a room:

• natural shrinkage of the house, violation of construction technology;
• low-quality materials or their incompatibility, incorrect application;
• unfavorable operating conditions (high humidity, temperature changes).

Before you begin to eliminate cracks, it is necessary to identify and correct the reason why the surface is cracking. Otherwise, all the efforts and money spent will not be worth it.

Drywall

• Small cracks are more likely to appear on such material. The cobwebs indicate that a thick layer of putty may have been applied. Another reason is violation temperature regime Thus, many people artificially pump up heat (with guns, hair dryers or heaters) to dry the surface faster. You definitely can't do that finishing material should dry, not harden.
• Such defects in the horizontal or vertical direction often occur at the joints of sheets. There are two sources of their formation:
  • weakened frame;
  • absence of serpyanka on the seams.

Correction

You can get rid of the defect only by removing the damaged layer and applying a thinner one, not exceeding 2 mm. If there is a need for another coating of the surface, then you must first wait until the applied material has completely dried, and only then proceed with applying the next layer.

If the problem is in the metal structure underneath the drywall, then deeper cracks cannot be repaired. But if the base is securely fixed to the wall, repair work is carried out as follows:

• - cracks are deepened using a sharp knife at an angle of 45°, a kind of groove is made;
• - the furrow is filled with a small amount of mixture intended specifically for these purposes;
• - a serpyanka tape is “glued” on top and the surface is leveled.

Plastered walls

Often the sources of such damage are incorrect application of the material or improper proportions when mixing the dry mixture with water. Of course, there are more serious reasons that cause surface cracking, but this was discussed above.

Correction

• The ideal material for masking an imperfect surface is fiberglass. It will hide existing cracks, prevent new ones from forming and old ones from expanding. Before work, it is enough to fill only particularly deep recesses with putty and treat the wall with a deep penetration primer.
• You can completely remove the peeling plaster, after which the surface is primed and puttied. Before work, carefully read the information on the packaging regarding dilution proportions, as well as the recommended thickness of the material layer.

Conclusion

Almost all cracks that form in the walls of a house are due to the lack of proper supervision, low qualifications of workers and, consequently, poor quality work. Therefore, it is very important when constructing buildings for any purpose to follow all technical specifications, norms and rules. And:

• take into account soil properties;
• calculate the safety factor of load-bearing structures;
• use high quality building materials.

Before you cover up a crack in the wall of a house yourself, you need to make sure that it does not affect the strength of the entire structure and does not pose a threat. And to avoid such a problem, it is better to entrust construction to licensed contractors, to whom, based on the contract, you can make claims for poorly performed work.

Cracks in walls are a fairly common occurrence. Their appearance can be caused by a number of reasons, for example, shrinkage of the house. It is natural that when they are discovered, the question arises: how to repair a crack in the wall correctly? A small defect can be a harbinger of a big disaster, even leading to the destruction and deformation of the entire building, so you need to act as quickly as possible to avoid the appearance of new defects and prevent the growth of existing ones. An important point is to accurately determine the cause that caused the destructive process. Without eliminating it, there is no point in hoping to solve the problem.

Before repairing a crack in the wall, it is necessary to find out the destructive factors that served as the basis for the occurrence of this undesirable phenomenon. One of the options for classifying cracks according to the main possible reasons process - shown in the table below.

The nature of the location on the walls of the house and the parameters of the cracks indicate the reasons for their formation. Their direction is influenced by acting loads, for example:

• the presence and location of numerous cracks in the wall of the house on their surface indicates wear and tear of the materials;
• cracks widened at the top are evidence of foundation subsidence, and cracks thickened towards the bottom are evidence of the action of significant vertical loads.

Based on depth and direction, defects are divided into:

• inclined;
• horizontal and vertical;
• straight and curved;
• surface and through;
• closed.

Based on the size of the cracks, the following types are distinguished:

• small – up to 5 mm;
• medium – 5-10 mm;
• wide – more than 1 cm.

Repairing cracks, both internal and external, should begin with identifying the cause. An analysis of their appearance will help with this.

Checking cracks for the possibility of further growth

When starting to repair cracks in concrete walls (or those built from other materials), you need to make sure that they are stable, because if the cracks grow, then it makes no sense to cover them up until the destructive process stops.

It is possible to determine how cracking occurs in a simple way. Then proceed like this:

• glue plain paper onto the seam and monitor its integrity for a certain period of time;
• Apply a layer of plaster and wait for the result.

If the applied coating remains intact, then the defects are covered. With further deformation of the surface, it is necessary to look for the cause in order to stop the growth and seal the gap.

Tools and materials for work

To seal cracks at home, you will need to prepare a working tool and collect the material with which they will be closed. Everything you might need is summarized in the following table.

In each specific case, certain tools and materials will be needed. Their use is influenced by the operating conditions of the surface being repaired and the nature of the problem itself.

Crack repair technology

Having discovered a defect in a concrete wall (stone, brick, plasterboard), it is necessary to begin repairing it as quickly as possible. Work begins only after the destruction process has stabilized.

How to properly and with what to repair a crack is determined by its size and location inside or outside the house. The base material also matters.

Considering these factors, general scheme work on various surfaces with flaws of different sizes comes down to the following actions:

• widen the gap;
• remove debris, dust, and other contaminants;
• perform priming;
• reinforce;
• Seal the recess with mortar.

Use a brush or vacuum cleaner to remove dust. You can also wash off the debris with water, but then you must wait for the work area to dry. For bases from different materials There are some nuances to the work.

Removing defects from brick, concrete and plaster walls

Small cracks up to 1 cm are sealed in the same way. Step-by-step instruction the work is reduced to the following points:

• embroider the furrow with a hammer and chisel;
• cleanse work surface from garbage;
• prime;
• use a hammer drill to drill holes for dowels (approximately every 40 cm) to secure the reinforcing mesh;
• after its installation, it is covered with a layer of cement-sand plaster;
• facing material is applied.

Very small cracks are filled with sealant using a syringe, as in the photo below.

Splits larger than 1 cm are considered dangerous. They are sealed in the following sequence:

• remove broken bricks;
• clean the recess;
• whole bricks with wire are laid on the new cement-sand mortar;
• fix the reinforcing mesh, or mount metal plates on anchors, stitching the cracked area.

If it is not possible to dismantle cracked masonry elements, then do this:

• trim the edges of the seam;
• remove pollutants;
• the formed recess is filled with polyurethane foam;
• when it dries, remove it 2 cm deep;
• plastered with cement composition.

In a similar way, small and large gaps and cracks are filled on concrete, stone, and plastered bases. So, it is enough to seal the grooves in the plaster with a solution similar in properties to the applied coating.

To eliminate minor defects indoors, gypsum putties and sealants are usually used. For larger defects, cement-sand compositions are also used when repairing external walls. After sealing the seam, it is advisable to plaster the entire surface, and then apply a finishing coating that has good reinforcing properties, for example, glass wallpaper.

Sealing through cracks and defects in drywall

Through faults are serious violations of the integrity of partitions, often requiring strengthening of the entire wall.

IN general case, having completed the preparatory work of cleaning the opening and knocking out loose elements, proceed to the following actions:

• the hole is filled with cement-crushed stone (fine-grained) mortar;
• install metal plates on anchors (dowels);
• plaster the working area;
• create a finishing coating.

The plates can be applied on both sides of the wall using through bolts for tightening. Then the holes for the bolts are filled with plaster mortar.

In this way you can both decorate cracks on the wall and strengthen it.

As for drywall, it is a very moisture-sensitive material. If the sheets are deformed, they will need to be replaced. They will not return to their original form.

Common cracks in drywall can be covered:

• putty;
• acrylic.

Another option for getting rid of the problem is to cover the damaged area with fiberglass, followed by applying a layer of putty.

Compared to surfaces made of other materials for gypsum boards, the following nuances should be taken into account:

• the solution is applied to the seam and in a thin layer on adjacent sheets, covering 5 cm from the edges to be sealed;
• the frozen mass is polished.

The best option is to plaster the entire surface of the deformable wall using a metal mesh. It is very good when faced with a material that can additionally reinforce the base.

Cracking occurs on different types surfaces: concrete, stone, plastered, brick. Also, cracks may appear on drywall and partitions made from various blocks.

The methods outlined show how to repair cracks in the wall of your apartment, which have different sizes and arise on bases made of different materials. The technology in all cases provides general order actions. Only some of the materials used differ. All operations can be easily performed with your own hands without the help of specialists.

You can study the technique of sealing cracks on the wall in detail in the video below.