How to fill holes in a concrete wall? Repairing cracks in brick walls The best way to repair cracks in a brick wall.

I saw several written requests in my mailbox, where people asked me to tell them why they were in the walls and how to seal them. It turned out that everything they knew and did before did not work. Not a single method saved them from new formations. So I decided to write this article.

I haven’t talked about this topic with anyone for a long time, and I came across similar work about a dozen years ago, so I decided to update my knowledge and see what great minds have come up with that’s new in this regard. By the way, we always try to give you the latest information so that you keep up with the times. After all, something new is often invented, and applying it is often cheaper and more effective.

Let's get to the bottom of the problem

Well, let's start by defining the types of cracks. Yes, they are radically different from each other, divided into two types. The first is erosion cracks, caused by a process called erosion, although weathering may also be involved. So, erosion is a process of destruction that is associated with time, with the influence of mold, precipitation, wind or thermal expansion.

For example, we have a wall that was plastered with ordinary cheap cement, and even in a 1/3 ratio. Yes, the plaster holds up and looks beautiful. But it absorbs moisture and crumbles due to insufficient molecular bonds. And as a result, water penetrates into it, washing away all our connecting elements from the top layer.

When the time of autumn rains comes, they abundantly saturate and saturate everything around with moisture. The wall does not have time to dry thoroughly before winter, and the moisture freezes, and at the same time it greatly increases in volume. Try filling a glass bottle with water and placing it in the freezer. You will see that once it freezes, it will easily crack the bottle. And if it is a metal container, then it will simply bend or inflate.

So, the same thing happens in the thickness of the plaster, water tears it apart from the inside. Do you see how much there is? So, all these factors, of course, destroy the surface layer more and more over time. And what is the result? That's right, microcracks appear. The length of each of them is approximately 1 cm.

If they are not sealed, then even more water will get into them, or some other factors will act doubly intensely and increase the cracked areas several times. If in this case you do not cover them up, then after some time such plaster will completely fall off.

In general, you understand, we have now described an example of an erosion crack on the surface of the plaster of a building. Exactly the same can be found indoors. For example, if the wrong composition of cement was selected, then it may not respond very quickly to thermal expansion and may also crack.

There is another type. For example, if we talk about a very old brick house, which was not decorated with plaster, but simply had brick laid under the jointing. Yes, here erosion, even over a long period of time, cannot do anything to brick, that is, to compressed and baked clay.

Most likely, erosion will begin to wash away the joint cement, and as a result, small cracks may appear in the brick wall. If the cement from the joints is washed enough so that the main load is removed from it, then where will it fall? Of course, it will either attack the remainder of the concrete in the seam, or it will move to a larger section downwards, and then overcome it too.

All this, it would seem, is nonsense. But tell me, what is the purpose of plaster? That's right - prevent harmful factors from reaching the main wall. And I’ll tell you that even plaster with minor defects can cope with this. The cracks that have appeared are the result of your savings, because the wrong type of cement was selected that was needed. Either you didn’t know about the existence of another, or you just saved money.

After all, there are any kind of cement mortars. For example, decorative, heat-resistant, structural, lightweight, dense, porous, astringent, tensile, protective-radiation, polymer, chemical, heavy and several dozen different ones!

Yes, you won’t find them in regular construction stores, because it is profitable for the buyer to purchase only one type, the cheapest, and sell it to you at the highest markup. But, as you can see, if you want, you can choose a special one for any type of work. Well, not about that now.

In general, the plaster described above copes with its task, that is, it protects the main walls from destruction. And if you saved on it on purpose or not on purpose, then be so kind as to patch it up a little, and everything will be fine. We will describe how to do this later.

Now comes the fun part. I am almost 100% sure that you asked for advice not because you need to fix a dozen tiny cracks, but because you have a real problem with the formation of significant cracks. If you have not small cracks on the wall, but large ones, half a meter or a meter long, and they arose not just on the plaster, but in the body of the main, that is, load-bearing, wall, then you do not have an erosion crack, but a real one deformation

Remember for the rest of your life, a deformation crack never just appears, and you will never eliminate it with any coating. If you have one, then you need to fight not with it, but only with the cause of its occurrence.

So, let's figure out what are the causes of deformation cracks and list them.

Excessive one-sided shrinkage of the foundation

The most terrible type of deformation. In addition, this is the most common situation, it occurs everywhere. If the foundation was not poured according to technology, if dozens of conditions for its pouring were not met, then it may crack. As a result, the wall located on it will also crack. In this case, a shear will occur - not a shear, but a shear - of the static loads, and the entire structure will begin to move relative to the axis, which will yield to this movement.

Yes, it's a little difficult to understand. Let's diagram what we're talking about:

As you can see, part of wall "A" begins to move. This movement can be either vertical or horizontal. In any case, this is an extremely serious building defect. And if such a problem arises, we are faced with global work.

Many people advise foaming the crack, covering it up, and that’s it. But if you think rationally, you can realize that on average a square meter of wall weighs about a ton. Of course, there are 500 kg, there are also 5 tons - it doesn’t matter. So, part of the wall weighing 20–30 tons goes down, while also pushing through the foundation. It is simply unrealistic to solve such a colossal problem with simple putty. Well, never mind, more on this later.

Damage to the foundation due to damage to the blind area

The blind area is connected to the base and is an element that protects the foundation from water. So, if the blind area is damaged, water begins to flow into the foundation space. It liquefies the soil and accelerates shrinkage.

If the thickness of the freezing layer reaches the level of water in the foundation, then when it freezes, it similarly begins its destructive effect. And when destroyed, we get, again, the consequence that was described above.

Thermal expansion

This can also be a problem, but quite rarely. The atmosphere inside the room does not change quickly. The house is like a thermos in which the temperature is constantly maintained. Inside, it is almost equal to the temperature of the room walls. If it is -10 outside and +25 indoors, then constant heat exchange occurs. From heating devices to walls, from walls to atmosphere and vice versa. So, the temperature inside, as we know, does not change, and thermal expansion is either completely absent or extremely insignificant.

Now let's imagine a house that has had no window for several years. For example, at your dacha it was broken, but you didn’t see it or decided not to put it back in. So what happens? The weather outside changes very quickly. In the autumn-winter period, it often happens that during the day the temperature is +2, and at night it drops to -8. As you remember, our window is broken, and the temperature in the room is changing at exactly the same speed as outside.

The walls of the building, having heated up during the day, cool down very quickly at night, and vice versa. So they begin to play like an accordion: sometimes they expand, sometimes they narrow. Since the rate of temperature change is high, the speed of this “game” is also high. But concrete or brick walls are not an accordion, so they can’t stand it and burst.

In this case, only the walls burst, but the foundation remains intact. Although it is difficult to eliminate such a malfunction, it is possible. At the same time, it is possible to make it as if it did not exist.

Design changes

These also cause deformation cracks. To help you understand faster, let's give an example. Let’s say you bought a house, and in the middle of the hall there is a column, and it’s like an eyesore. If you don't like it, kill me. Without thinking for a long time, you tear it down, and six months later you begin, perplexed, to ask: why are the walls cracking?

Well, how can they avoid cracking and bursting if you demolished the support beam on which the lion's share of the load was located. The walls took on a load they were not designed for and began to burst. Everything is simple and sad. If you have a similar situation, then now you have serious work ahead of you, which we will describe below.

Rotting, damage to stiffeners or support beams

Cracks can also occur for this reason. If, for example, you have a two-story building, and the span above the window was built using not a channel, but a wooden beam, then when it can no longer bear the load, what will happen? That's right, at this point the wall will burst, or something even worse will happen.

The same applies to damage to stiffeners or concrete lintels. If, for example, you had a seismic beam in your apartment, but you didn’t like it and you demolished it without permission, get ready for serious problems and punishment, because cracks are now inevitable. And they will arise not only for you, but also for all your neighbors, who will definitely call the BTI.

Let's say you live in your private house, which you recently bought, you have one room upstairs that is empty, and you decide to put a lathe there. Yes, somehow you manage to get it in there, you are happy and everything is fine. And a month later you discovered that you had a finger-thick crack on your wall. Strange, yes, where did it come from?

Well, of course! You have placed a machine, the minimum weight of which is 3 tons, on an area of three squares. And the slab that took on the load began to put a huge mass of pressure on a section of the wall, which as a result could not stand it and burst.

We eliminate erosion cracks

Let's move on to the “sweetest” part of our story. I say this because everything is done extremely simply and does not require much effort. Understand that all your actions should be aimed only at preventing the damaging factor from entering the crack body, and nothing more.

If you pursue the goal of preventing their occurrence, then it is pointless; you will not be able to do this anyway. Perhaps you can treat the surface with a strengthening primer, but the effect of this is minimal. So, in order to eliminate erosion cracks, do the work in the following sequence.

Since you still have to worsen the visual condition of the wall by applying some other solution to it, leaving stains, then treat the entire wall with a strengthening compound. It won't be redundant. And if you don’t want to do this manipulation with the entire wall, then apply it only to the crack and, preferably, into its cavity too. This can be done with a syringe or sprayer, which, for example, you have left over from a window cleaner.
Dilute the solution, and it is better not to use gypsum-based putty or cement, but, for example, tile adhesive or a similar composition. Such products bond better with the surface, and in this case your putty will definitely not fall out of the wall.
We put glue or some other solution into a large syringe or similar device and press it into the crack. Sometimes I even took a thick bag, poured a little glue into it, cut off a corner (a very tiny piece), and worked with it like a pastry bag. Just don’t press, otherwise the bag will split along the seam.
We fill the crack until our solution begins to bulge out of it.
We take spatulas and draw them from above, leveling our solution along the plane of the wall.

That's all. We carry out such manipulations with all our cracks. Upon completion of the work, it would be useful to prime everything again.

Elimination of deformation cracks

And this is the most serious, hard and thorough work. We have to spend a lot of money and work physically. So, information for general understanding. If there has been damage to the foundation, it is useless to build the wall; the foundation needs to be repaired. If there has been damage to the wall without damage to the foundation, then the wall must be sewn. If a seismic beam, stiffener or some other support was damaged, then it needs to be restored.

I won’t say much about the restoration of beams and other supporting elements. Remember the main thing: you don’t just have to restore this beam, weld it with reinforcement and concrete it. You will have to transfer the load that was there before to it, and this is done either molecularly or using jacks.

Now let's talk about the first two types of work.

Restoring the foundation

In order to do this, carry out the work in the following sequence.

That's it, the work is finished. Now, as soon as the old foundation moves even a millimeter, the new foundation will take its load; they are now tightly connected. All that remains for you is to plaster the crack. Only plastering should be done after at least two months. The entire structure must “play” and lie on a new foundation. If you plaster it the next day, you will see a tiny crack again in a month. This is exactly the distance that was needed for everything to rest on the new foundation. And if you did everything correctly, then you will never remember about it again.

This is how, friends, the cracks are eliminated once and for all, and not just covered over and forgotten. Understand that if you cover it up, it will do absolutely nothing. By the way, we once restored the building of a kindergarten that burst during an earthquake. So, we measured the shrinkage by gluing a ruler to one side of the crack and measuring the discrepancy. It was a cosmic 2 mm per month, and this is critical.

We completely restored the damaged building in this way, and then the quality of our work was checked by gluing strips of glass to the control points of the cracks. None of them have burst to this day, since we always provided a guarantee, and every year we ask how our foundation stands there.

How walls are sewn

If there were cracks on the walls for some reason, you inspected everything and did not find damage to the base, then the foundation is intact and you will have to sew up the walls. So, the work required depends on the type of damage, of which there are also two. The first is local damage, and the second is global.

In case of local damage, that is, when a small area is damaged, small and simple work is required. But if the damage is global, for example, your entire building bursts, then you will have to do something more complicated.

So, local type of damage. These include small cracks one meter long, +/- 50 cm. These are sealed as follows.

Global damage. They are eliminated in exactly the same way as local ones. Only there, as you already understood, the crack is twice as large, and therefore we have to do something else.

You will have to throw several reinforcing belts over the entire building. This is how it is done.

We mark lines around the entire perimeter, at a distance of 50 cm from each other. We make as many of them as we can fit. If the damage to the walls is not so severe, then we do it at a distance of 1 meter from each other.
Along the entire length of the marked lines we make grooves 20 mm deep.
We lay the reinforcement along the entire length in one groove. And we grab it there with a few strokes of alabaster or putty - it doesn’t matter what exactly, the main thing is that it holds.
And now the most difficult part, here you will have to work as a team. So, let's take the cutter. As you know, this is a cutting unit that runs on oxygen and propane. So, we take the cutter and warm up all our fittings. Let's do it as hard as possible. If its length does not exceed 6 meters, then great, you can use a cutter to heat it all up red-hot, this will be ideal.
As soon as the reinforcement has turned red, and it must have a diameter of at least 16 mm, then we grab the other two segments close to the wall from both edges. And they didn’t just stick it with slag from the electrode, but made a high-quality, solid seam. Because we are making a tense tension coupling, and it will be constantly under load.
We move on to heating the next one and repeat the same operations.
Once all the belts are welded, we plaster them.

Well, in the end, as soon as the metal cools, the entire circuit pulls our house together with tremendous force. By heating the metal, the molecules expanded and the length of the reinforcement increased. Then she returned to her previous position, only there she already had points of support - other reinforcements, which were all pulled together, as if with a noose. And now your walls will never crack again; they will be constantly rigidly restrained by reinforcing belts. It's like a woman's corset tightening her waist.

Well, friends, as you can see, everything is not as simple as you expected. In another article we will tell you how such serious problems could have been avoided. Because prevention is always easier than correcting something that has already been damaged.

I hope you found our story useful. I want to tell you finally that our goal was to write an introductory article, not rigid technical literature, so it should not be relied upon as instructions for use. And as you understand, only you are responsible for all actions you take. Therefore, approach all work wisely and carefully, and you will never have any problems. Good luck!

Almost all finishing and repair work involves sealing cracks in the walls. Such defects arise for various reasons and cause a lot of inconvenience. The fact is that if the problem that has arisen is not resolved in time, the consequences can be extremely unpleasant. After some time, the deformations gradually increase and detachments appear. If the defects are deep, then there is a high probability of cold bridges, which contributes to the formation of mold and mildew.

It must be taken into account that cracks in the wall can occur due to various factors:

In fact, the appearance of cracks in walls can be almost completely eliminated if the cause is determined and the correct leveling compound is selected. Of course, it is not possible to eliminate some nuances, but it is quite possible to reduce the scale of their impact. When working with recently constructed objects, it is better to use cladding mixtures with a plastic effect, and for showers and bathrooms it is necessary to use cement-based solutions with the addition of polymers; gypsum options will constantly deteriorate.

On a note! Completely correcting any deficiencies that have arisen is a rather expensive undertaking, so it is quite possible to get by with a simple repair.

Materials for sealing cracks

The question of how to repair a crack is quite important; the correct choice of material depends on the type of coating. The most commonly used options are:

Cement-sand mixture and its varieties. Excellent for repairing damage in concrete and brick walls. The best results are obtained by compositions with the addition of plasticizers, which have virtually no shrinkage.

Plaster and putty products. They can be made on the basis of various substances. Cement and gypsum are considered popular. Each option is selected for plastered walls so that the bases match.

Sealants.

Serve to level minor damage. It must be taken into account that acrylic-based products have the best performance, provided they are used correctly. Silicone sealants are not used for this process.

The greatest difficulties are caused by coatings in wooden houses. To eliminate defects that have arisen in them, it is advisable to use special compounds. Many craftsmen advise caulking the cracks first and then covering them with wood putty.

Options for sealing cracks in different surfaces

To properly repair a crack in the wall, you need to focus on the material that is used to make the coating. Before performing this procedure, you should ensure that the defects do not indicate serious problems with the supporting structures.

Brick walls

Damage to brick walls is usually divided by size into two categories: up to 5 mm or more, so there are 2 ways to perform the work.

The first option is quite simple and is as follows:
A thorough cleaning is carried out. Accumulated debris and dust should be completely removed. The area is pre-wetted with a spray bottle.
A simple cement mixture is prepared. A trowel or spatula is used for application.
The solution is placed in the existing recesses and rubbed well. It is important to get a level surface.

Sealing cracks in a brick wall larger than 5 mm is done with greater care. First of all, the amount of damage per square meter is assessed. If the defects are located in one large area, then it is advisable to partially dismantle the masonry in order to replace the damaged fragments. If there are through cracks and subsidence of part of the wall - which is typical for private houses - then the entire section is completely re-laid with additional reinforcement of the rows.

But if such large-scale work is not required, then you can repair a crack in the wall according to the following scheme:

The initial steps exactly repeat the previous procedure, but the work uses a cement-sand mixture with special additives that give the composition elasticity.
The damage is carefully treated with a deep-penetrating primer; it will increase adhesion.
The solution is applied gradually to ensure its penetration to the full depth. To do this, the composition is literally pressed in until excess begins to appear.
All areas are well leveled.

It often happens that the resulting gap leads to the weakening of several bricks in the middle and at the edges of the masonry. At the same time, it is not possible to disassemble the structure, and using liquid solutions is problematic. Then polyurethane foam comes to the rescue. Small rigid spacers are first placed so that the bricks take their place, and the damage is carefully foamed. After drying, everything is cut flush with the surface.

Plastered coatings

First, the damage is assessed. The fact is that cracks in the plaster can be the result of a defect in the base. If the cracks in the wall are deep, then it is advisable to dismantle the entire layer of plaster and eliminate the root cause. But often it is necessary to carry out only internal work.

When sealing, they are guided by the following principles:

If the coating is used as a basis for cladding with decorative materials, then the process is not particularly difficult. The main thing is to choose a composition that is suitable in structure. Sealing is carried out using a spatula. First, the solution is applied by holding the tool perpendicular, and then leveled with parallel movements.
Sometimes it happens that plaster plays an independent decorative role. For example, it is applied to create different textures. Then more painstaking work is performed - the texture of the damaged area is recreated.
If there are numerous small cracks, the coating is treated with a very liquid gypsum compound using a brush.

In general, cracks on a plastered surface are an alarming signal, which may indicate that there are numerous voids under the layer.

Plasterboard walls

When deciding how to repair cracks on a plasterboard wall, you should take into account that most often such damage occurs at the joints of the sheets. If defects appear on the slabs themselves, then the reason may lie in improper installation or violation of the integrity of the frame. For example, deformation of the sheet occurs in the absence of the necessary gaps between the ceiling and floor. Therefore, it is recommended to eliminate the cause first.

The gaps at the joints of gypsum plaster boards are removed as follows:

The joint is completely freed from the old composition, jointing is carried out. The seam should take the form of a Latin letter V. The area is treated with a primer.
The putty composition is prepared and evenly applied.
A reinforcing tape is applied, which is smeared into the surface, after which everything is leveled and sanded.

Elimination of cracks in places where drywall joins is carried out using joint sealing technology

On a note! If it is necessary to eliminate numerous cracks, then general surface treatment is carried out with additional reinforcement using fiberglass.

Concrete surfaces

You can repair a crack in a concrete wall using a scheme similar to the other options:

Using a hammer and chisel, the gap is opened. The depth should not be less than 5 mm. This is necessary for a more durable fixation of the solution.
Dust and dirt are removed. Treatment with a primer and, if reinforcement is present, with anti-corrosion compounds should be provided.
A cement-sand mixture is prepared.
The solution is applied with a spatula. If the gap is deep enough and long enough, it is recommended to perform reinforcement using simple wire.
The surface is finally leveled.

Thus, the process is quite simple and is ideal for sealing holes in walls that form for various reasons.

When starting repair work, dismantling and removing old wallpaper from the walls, you can find cracks in the walls. This phenomenon is frequent and quite unpleasant. Cracks can be of various shapes and sizes; it happens that one minor crack forms a whole web of small defects in the wall. There are also through cracks (holes). Of course, it is impossible to cover such a wall or cover it with plasterboard if the problem is not immediately eliminated - cracks in the walls, the wall will continue to deform and slowly collapse. How to properly deal with cracks and how to eliminate them will be discussed in the article.

Before you start repairing cracks in the wall, you need to know exactly the coating of the wall. Let's take a closer look at the walls covered with plaster. When starting to seal cracks, you need to clean the surface.
Using tools (chisels, hammer or hammer) remove the plaster. Then, using a brush, the wall is cleaned of any dust and dirt that has formed, in order to finally remove the debris, the area around the crack is washed with a damp washcloth.

Once the wall is clean, you should begin repairing the crack. A special solution is used for this. Builders recommend using gypsum mixtures, which can be purchased at a hardware store. Having carefully studied the instructions, combine the plaster with water, stir so that there are no lumps, and fill the crack with the solution.

The solution is applied using a spatula. Gypsum tends to expand after drying, so it is necessary to ensure that there is no excess solution in the cracks. If you overdo it with the amount of gypsum, the crack will deepen and a new deformation of the wall will begin.
After the cracks are eliminated, it is necessary to let the plaster dry completely, this takes 5-6 hours. After this, use sandpaper to remove the remaining plaster. And enjoy a smooth wall without cracks.

Many people living in brick houses think that the problem with cracks is irrelevant for them, but this is not so. IN brick walls Cracks can also form, and their elimination occurs in several stages. No matter how stupid it may sound, the crack needs, first of all, to be cleared and made deeper. This is done in order to fill the space well with the solution. The material for sealing cracks must be selected taking into account where the defect is located, inside or outside the house.

For internal sealing, a gypsum solution is perfect. If a crack has formed from the outside, it is better to use polyurethane foam, since gypsum is not resistant to moisture and the effect will not last long.

In the case of using a gypsum mixture, we carry out the same processes as described above.

With polyurethane foam everything is simple and clear. It is enough to clean the area where the crack has formed, shake the bottle with polyurethane foam and carefully fill the cavity. But not completely, taking into account that when drying the foam will expand.

How to remove a crack in plasterboard walls?

First, we clean the place where the crack is located from dirt and dust. Then we deepen the crack using a construction knife. We wipe the surface of the crack with a damp sponge and be sure to apply a primer. This is done in order to increase the adhesion (adhesion) of drywall to finishing materials.

After all the preparatory processes have been completed, using putty sealing the crack, the remains are rubbed with sandpaper.

It can also be reinforced with fiberglass, which increases the strength of this joint many times over.

As for sealing cracks in concrete walls, the process is not much different from those described above. For interior decoration, cement mortar is used. The wall is also pre-prepared and cleaned, then carefully puttied with a cement solution and cleaned, removing any remaining plaster.

Through cracks in concrete must first be blown out with foam, then sealed from the inside with gypsum mortar, and plastered on the outside with cement-sand mortar. Thus, moisture and microorganisms will not enter the crack.

In the end, I would like to note that if even small cracks are detected, they need to be repaired and not delayed in this process. Since cracks can lead to complete deformation of the wall.

Watch this helpful video: Troubleshooting a Crack in the Wall

Special attention should be paid to horizontal cracks; this is the first sign that the house has begun to sag. Ours can help you if you decide to build it yourself.

How to fix a crack in a brick wall? Brick is the most common building material used to construct buildings. But its disadvantage is the cracks in the wall of a brick house that appear during operation.

Eliminating such a deficiency is not particularly difficult. In this case, you need to determine the reasons for the appearance of cracks and select the correct technological process, which is recommended to be learned from this article.

What are the causes of cracks and their types?

Tip: To detect cracks in brickwork, you should visually inspect the entire house. Pay attention to the direction of the expansion of the split.

The direction of cracks is affected by the loads on the walls.

For example:

Expansion goes downward due to vertical load.
When the foundation subsides, the cracks expand upward.
Due to wear of the material, numerous cracks open closer to the surface.

Cracks can be:

Constructive. Such causes of cracks in brick walls arise due to:

error when calculating the depth of the foundation;
incorrectly chosen load on the walls;
failure to comply with house construction technology;
the brand of masonry mortar does not correspond to the current loads;
lack of wall reinforcement.

Temperature. Such defects are formed from:

freezing of the foundation;
temperature changes.

Shrinkage. Their reasons may be:

pit near the house;
the building is being erected on fill soils.

Deformation. Wrong material selected.
From wear and tear. All materials have a certain service life.

Based on their appearance and depth, cracks can be:

Vertical.
Horizontal.
Inclined.
Direct.
Curvilinear.
Walls that are closed or do not extend to the edges.
Through.
Superficial.

Based on the size of the gap, they are divided into:

Wide, more than one centimeter.
Medium, from 5 to 10 millimeters.
Small, up to 5 millimeters.

How to check cracks for stabilization of their further expansion

Advice: Repairing cracks in a brick wall should begin only after the process of its further enlargement has been completely stopped.

Elimination of cracks in the brick walls of a house is carried out after the final determination of the reasons for their appearance and the completion of the shrinkage process. To understand whether the cracking process has ended, you need to conduct a special tensile test.

This is done with:

Gypsum beacons.
Plate beacons with a special scale.

Stabilization can be determined:

Sticking paper on the crack.
Applying a cement strip.

After a certain time, the paper or strip remaining intact indicates that the cracks in the brick wall can be sealed. If you continue the deformation process, you must wait until it is completed. At this stage, there is no point in carrying out any repair work; the crack will reappear.

How to repair cracks in a brick house

Before repairing a crack in a brick wall, you need to prepare tools and materials.

They may be:

A small spatula for easy mixing of the solution.
Container for the mixture.
Construction trowel.
Hammer.
Brush.
Scarpel, for stone processing.
Putty knife.
Polyurethane foam.
Cement.
River sand.
Rolled metal.
Fittings.
Dowels.
Anchor bolts.

Depending on the type of crack in the wall of a brick house, the option of sealing it is selected. For shallow cracks up to 5 millimeters wide, a durable solution of cement or gypsum is used.

In this case, sealing the crack with your own hands is performed in the following sequence:

Preparatory work is underway. The cracks are cleaned of:

garbage;
mud;
dust.

The cavity is generously moistened with water and left to dry.
The crack is treated with putty or cement plaster solution.
Reinforced tape is laid.
A layer of cement mortar or putty is applied to the tape.

To seal cracks up to one centimeter wide, the instructions suggest:

Dismantle cracked areas of masonry.
Clear repair areas of debris and dust.
Re-prime the surfaces (see Why a primer is needed: technological nuances of finishing work).
Drill holes for dowels in increments of 25–50 centimeters.
Fix a metal mesh with mesh sizes of 5x5 millimeters on top with screws.
Cover the mesh with plaster cement mortar, adding a small amount of sand to it.
Finishing material is applied.

The sealing of wide cracks is carried out in the following sequence:

Cracked bricks and cracked bricks are removed from the outside of the wall.
The defect area is cleaned with a construction scraper to remove any dirt and dust.
New bricks are being laid on cement mortar.
This kind of crack can be eliminated using a metal anchor, as in the photo, which is a plate with two pins or anchors located on it.

Tip: Cracks more than one centimeter wide are critical defects in the walls of a house that require special methods of elimination.

To eliminate them you will need:

Clean the damaged area from contamination.
Fill the defect with polyurethane foam.
Leave until completely dry.
Trim the foam to a depth of two centimeters.
Fill the resulting depression with cement-sand or cement composition.
Apply finishing material.

If it is not possible to dismantle the cracked brickwork of a building, you can do this:

The repair site is cleared of debris and dust.
The cracks are sealed with cement mortar.
T-shaped strong anchors are driven into the cracks, which are necessary for fixation with dowels on both sides of the crack. They are attached to the surface of the wall of the building.

How to repair through cracks

To eliminate such defects, you can strengthen the walls.

In this case:

Preparatory work is carried out: damaged areas are cleaned of old coating, dirt and dust.
The crack is wetted with water and time is given to dry.
The gap is filled with cement mortar and small fraction crushed stone.
If necessary, steel linings are fixed with anchors and dowels.
Finishing work is being carried out on damaged areas of the building walls.

Through gaps can be eliminated using metal staples.

For this:

Prepared:

metal plates - two pieces;
bolts for tightening, they will be passed through the wall.

Tip: To prevent further opening of the crack, steel brackets should be driven into the wall on both sides. Bend their ends to the wall and secure with bolts.

Before fixing, the bolt holes are filled with cement.
Large defects can be eliminated by installing several staples.
The crack itself is sealed with cement in the same way as in other cases.

How to eliminate cracks in brick walls and dangerous cracks

For cracks that appear on the walls of external brick walls, a metal clip is used. Depending on the width of the wall, the dimensions of the cage and its design are selected. To eliminate serious cracks that threaten to destroy the house, metal joists are installed on both sides of the wall. This will allow the building to be covered with a powerful steel bandage.

How to eliminate foundation deficiencies

Cracks can often be caused by flaws in the foundation.

By strengthening the foundation, further formation of cracks and their spreading can be prevented.

For this:

A trench is dug along the area where the crack appears, no thicker than the monolithic base, but with a depth slightly below the edge below.
The crack site is cleaned, freed from poorly retained elements, cement mortar, and slightly enlarged.
The area is drilled for reinforcement vertically and horizontally.
The anchors are woven with reinforcement and welded. In this case, the distance between the reinforcement is from 0.6 to 1 meter, which depends on the size of the crack. The created structure will become a frame connecting the house with a new reinforced foundation.
Wooden formwork is being installed.
Concrete is poured.
Allow to dry for approximately 28 days.
A blind area is being made.

Paper beacons are used to check the elimination of the cracking process.

After the restoration of the foundation, the walls are repaired:

Destructions up to 5 millimeters are repaired with cement mortar, the edges are beaten, cleaned, and wetted so that they adhere well to the mortar.
Cracks larger than one centimeter are sealed with cement and sand in a ratio of 1:3.

If there are large gaps in brick walls, emergency measures will need to be taken:

The brickwork is dismantled from above, damaged parts are removed. New bricks are laid with a lock and reinforced with metal rods, profile corners or metal strips.
When masonry breaks, metal strips are taken, their ends are bent into the masonry and pressed out with bolts, anchors and screws.

Advice: If it is impossible to use such methods, crushed stone and cement should be poured into the gap. At a distance of approximately 25 centimeters on both sides it is necessary to drive in T-shaped anchors. The elements are connected with metal strips.

Deep cracks that cannot be completely sealed with cement are filled by injecting mortar. To do this, holes with a diameter of more than 25 millimeters are made in increments of 20 centimeters along the perimeter of the crack. A tube with a solution is inserted into the holes. Through it, a sealant is pumped into the gap with a pump or vacuum syringe, carefully filling the voids.

For very large cracks in brick walls, if the masonry is cracked through and through, repair work is carried out from the outside and from the inside.

Wherein:

The area is cleaned and its edges are processed.
The crack is deeply moistened and filled with crushed stone and cement.
If necessary, steel plates are installed, which are secured with dowels and anchors.
After drying, the wall is sealed with plaster or other cladding.

How to strengthen brick walls

Advice: If there are no results after repairing the walls, it is necessary to partially re-lay them.

To guarantee the strength of a cracked brick wall, it is advisable to strengthen it from the inside of the building.

This means:

Sealing the crack.
Putting a lock or metal profile on it.
The lock is attached to the wall with anchors, and the gap is closed across it, which will prevent its expansion in the future.
Repairs can be made with metal staples; their ends should go into the wall to a depth of at least 1/2 the thickness of this wall, in which holes for the staples should be drilled in advance.
Within a day, such a repaired wall can be put into operation. But in any case, you cannot load it too much - the wall will only gain full strength in a month.

If the cracks appeared due to an improperly poured foundation, the best solution would be to strengthen the foundation with an auxiliary concrete belt.

For this:

A trench is dug around the entire perimeter of the house with a depth greater than the depth of the foundation.
The auxiliary belt will be placed in it.
To prevent further cracks from forming in the masonry, the base is poured using the appropriate technology.

What kind of cracks there can be in brick walls, their cause, and how to eliminate them can be learned from the video in this article. Cracks in brickwork are very common. The cost of solving this problem varies, but it is worth getting rid of it immediately to avoid compromising the structural integrity of a residential building.

The most common material for the construction of buildings and structures is brick. Its disadvantages include the appearance of defects and damage to the brickwork during operation. The most common defect is cracks. Eliminating this drawback today is not particularly difficult. To do this, it is necessary to determine the cause of the crack and select the correct technological process to eliminate it.

You can detect the presence of cracks in the brickwork by visually inspecting the house. It is necessary to pay attention to the direction of the expansion of the schism.

For cracks that were formed as a result of a vertical load, the expansion is directed downwards. When the foundation subsides, the expansion of the crack in the brickwork will be directed upward. Due to the wear of the material, numerous cracks appear, which open closer to the surface.

Due to appearance:

structural (the depth of the foundation or the load on the walls was incorrectly calculated, the technology for constructing the house was not followed, the brand of masonry mortar was incorrectly selected, lack of reinforcement, etc.);
temperature (freezing of the foundation, temperature changes);
shrinkage (presence of a pit near the house, construction of a building on bulk soils, etc.);
deformation (incorrectly selected material, etc.);
wear (each material has its own service life).

Cracks can form:

vertical;
horizontally;
inclined.

The outline of the cracks can be:

direct;
curvilinear;
closed, that is, not reaching the edge of the wall.

By depth: superficial and through.

According to the size of the cracks formed:

small (up to 5 mm);
medium (5–10 mm);
wide (over 10 mm).

Repairing cracks in brick walls

You can start sealing cracks at home after the cause of its occurrence has been finally identified and shrinkage processes have been eliminated. In order to understand whether the cracking process has stabilized or not, it is necessary to conduct a tensile test. The following devices are used for this:

plaster beacon;
plate beacon with scale.

In addition, to determine stabilization, you can stick paper on the crack or apply a cement strip. If after a certain time the paper or strip remains intact, then you can begin the process of sealing cracks.

If the crack continues the deformation process, then you should wait until it is completed. There is no point in carrying out repair work at this stage. Because the crack will appear again.

To repair cracked walls you will need the following materials and tools:

small spatula (for mixing the solution);
container in which you can prepare the solution;
Master OK;
hammer;
boaster;
dust cleaning brush;
putty knife;
polyurethane foam;
cement;
sand;
rolled metal;
fittings;
anchor and dowel.

Options for sealing cracks depending on their characteristics

For each type of crack, the material and sealing technology are selected individually. For non-through internal cracks up to 5 mm wide, you can use a strong cement or gypsum mortar.

Crack elimination process

Before starting to seal the crack, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. They consist of cleaning the repair site from dirt, debris and dust.
Moisten the resulting cavity generously with water and allow to dry.
The damaged area is treated with putty or cement mortar.
After drying, a reinforced tape is laid on top.
Place a layer of putty or cement mortar on the tape.

Medium-sized cracks (up to 6–10 mm wide)

Dismantling cracked sections of masonry.
Cleaning the repair site from dust and debris.
Surface primer.
Drilling holes for dowels at a distance of 25–50 cm from each other.
A metal mesh with 5x5 cells is attached to the top using screws.
Covering the mesh with cement plaster with the addition of a small amount of sand.
At the final stage it is necessary to apply the finishing material.

For wide cracks, a brick castle is suitable:

It is necessary to remove cracked bricks from the outside and outside of the wall.
Clean the defect area from dirt and dust. For this it is better to use a construction scarpel.
Lay new bricks on the mortar.
You can also eliminate this kind of crack using a metal anchor, which is a plate with two pins (anchors).

Cracks with a width of more than 10 mm are considered critical.

To eliminate them, the following method is suitable:

Clean the damaged area from contamination.
Fill the defect with foam.
Wait for it to dry completely.
Trim the foam to a depth of 2 cm.
Fill the resulting depression with cement or cement-sand mortar.
At the final stage, finishing material is applied.

If it is not possible to dismantle the damaged brickwork of the house, then you can use the following method:

Clear the repair area of debris and dust.
Cracks are sealed with cement mortar.
T-shaped steel anchors are driven into the crack, which must be secured with dowels on both sides of the crack. They are attached to the surface of the wall of the house.

Through cracks can be eliminated by strengthening the walls from the inside

Carry out preparatory work, namely clean the damaged area from old finishing material, dirt and dust.
Wet the tear with water and let it dry.
Fill the gap with cement mortar and small fraction crushed stone.
If necessary, secure steel plates made of rolled steel. The strips are fastened using anchors and dowels.
Carry out finishing work on the damaged area of the wall of the house.

Application of metal staples

For through cracks, two metal plates and tension bolts are used, which are passed through the wall. It is also possible to hammer steel brackets into the wall on both sides of the resulting gap. The ends of such brackets are bent to the wall and secured with bolts. This prevents the crack from opening further. The holes for the bolts must be filled with cement before fixing. For large defects, it may be necessary to install several such brackets. The repair of the crack itself occurs in the same way as in other cases. The most suitable material for this is cement.

Elimination of cracks on walls

For cracks that have appeared on the walls of external brick walls, use a metal clip. Its dimensions and design solution depend on the width of the wall.

Elimination of dangerous cracks

For serious cracks that threaten to destroy the house, steel joists are installed on both sides of the wall. As a result, the entire building ends up in a powerful steel bandage.

Cracks in brickwork are a common problem that requires immediate attention. This is necessary in order not to violate the structural integrity of a residential building or other structures.