There are different ways in which water can enter your basement from outside your home:
Cracks in poured concrete foundation walls are a fact of life. These cracks are due to drying shrinkage and thermal movement and are the most frequent causes of cracking.
Drying shrinkage is caused by loss of moisture from cement paste constituent, which can shrink by as much as one percent. Also common are those caused by structural settlement, overload or earthquakes. Most cracks initiate in the first 30 days after pouring the concrete structure. Even the smallest undetected crack can, in time become larger and start a structural or leaking problem. Some may never grow any further and will not cause any leaking or structural problem.
It is much cheaper (about 1/3 of the cost ) to have cracks repaired from inside your home before the leak starts than if you finish your basement and then find a leak and then have to have the crack repaired from outside your home. You can save your self thousands of dollars in the cost of replacing drywall, furniture, carpet, trim, etc. and the cost of removing mold from your home.
Mold is a very dangerous health issue, most of the time water and moisture that is trapped inside the walls causes mold to grow. According to Health Canada studies, mold is a fungi that grows in damp environments. Mold spores contain allergens and irritants that often cause people living in the house to suffer from allergic reactions and respiratory diseases. Humid or damp conditions in your home can encourage the growth of mold and dust mites. Mold can develop from poor ventilation, flooding and building leaks. Moldy smells from basements, carpets and gypsum board (drywall) are a sign that they harbour fungi.
In the event you are selling your house, and the buyer hires a professional Home Inspector, which most of buyers do now days, this problem can be easily be detected by an inspector with a moist measurement instrument and you will most likely end up having to fix the crack before the new buyers take possession and you will be responsible for the cost to do so.
If you try and hide the issue intentionally, you can be liable for a lot more than the simple repair for a period of time after the sale has completed.
The short answer is immediately, the longer you wait, the greater the possibility that the crack may loosen or expand and become more of a problem than it seems today. Be sure to always have all visible cracks repaired before finishing basement. Each freeze-thaw cycle could potentially increase the size of the crack as moisture enters the area, freezes, and thus expands the size of the damage.
A fraction of what it would cost to repair the crack from the outside. Cost depends on number of cracks to be repaired and many other factors. Armadillo Contracting has been in the construction industry for over 20 years and will get the job done right the first time.
It takes between approximately one and a half to two hours to repair a crack in an unfinished area of your basement for a solid poured concrete foundation. In a finished dry walled area it will take between about two to three hours, but this may also causes damage to some finished surfaces that would need to also be repaired.
Yes, most definitely. We very often get calls from customers who had cracks previously repaired by another contractor and have found them still expanding or leaking again.
We take pride in our services. We provide a 20 year written transferable warranty!
Servicing South-Central Ontario, Brampton, Georgetown, Halton Hills, Oakville, Milton, Woodbridge, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and other surrounding areas. Give us a call and we will fix your leak permanently! We will fix it right the first time. Give us a call (416) 315-6422 and see if we can help you!