Vertical zigzag cracks on silicate facing bricks. What to do if the facing brick bursts? How to fix a crack in a house from the inside
Many people know the expression of the famous poet Faina Ranevskaya that after a few years life gives cracks, which will grow over time if they are not patched up in time. Same with residential building, if a split or small crack appears on the load-bearing wall, then it is urgently necessary to address this problem.
The very first question that comes to mind is “ What to do if a brick wall is cracked?”
First of all, you need to consult with a professional builder, because a person who does not have even a minimal level of knowledge in the field of foundation construction and repair will find it very difficult to understand how to get rid of this problem once and for all.
Why does brick crack and how to repair cracks in a brick wall, and similar to brickwork? These questions need to be examined from many angles. So let's get started.
Types and causes of crack formation
To date construction companies offer a revolutionary, strong and durable Portland cement that has revolutionized building materials. It is distinguished not only by its durability, but also by its instant hardening speed, which is perhaps its main advantage among its competitors in the field of reinforcing materials.
All experienced builders know that immediately after construction, the building does not immediately take its place firmly and for a long time in the main foundation, this process It takes about five to ten years, but the cement mortar, on the contrary, very quickly gains its strength. So very a big difference between the time of subsidence and settlement of the house can lead to the appearance of cracks and large splits, which will intensively tear apart the mass of load-bearing masonry.
Well, as for the solution of lime with the addition of sand, things are much simpler. It hardens quite slowly and when settlement of the foundation itself begins, empty or through voids should not appear in the walls. This strengthening technology is mainly used exclusively in the construction of new houses according to today's standard, and as time shows, in new buildings for a long time There are no problems with cracks and foundation settlement.
Builders - specialists separate the cracks among themselves in brickwork according to such signs:
- What causes them to appear: deformation of the house structure, shrinkage or temperature wear of a residential building;
- External and internal view the destruction itself on the wall: Split, rupture, cut;
- Direction of destruction: horizontal, vertical, inclined at various angles;
- Shape: curved, straight, closed or broken in half (that is, it almost does not reach the edge of the load-bearing wall).
- Size and depth: on the surface of the wall and inside it;
- How complex renovation work what is the risk of wall destruction: dangerous and non-hazardous;
- Time since destruction: stable or unstable;
- Size of the opening of the split or crack itself: microscopic (up to one millimeter), small (up to three millimeters), medium (from four to eight millimeters), large (more than ten millimeters), very large (from fifteen millimeters or more).
Several main reasons for the appearance of such destruction on the wall, of which there are quite a lot:
- Settlement or destruction of the soil itself. This problem can be caused by uneven natural burning of the soil (its strong and weak sections), incorrect and unacceptable load of the main foundation, leakage of a very large amount of waste water, as well as contaminated water, into the soil. It is these reasons that can lead to the appearance of large indirect splits or to the formation of vertical cracks that can reach right up to the edge of the load-bearing wall, and so on.
- The soil on which the house stands is very hardened. This phenomenon can be caused by severe frosts, which can cause uneven lifting of the foundation. In particular, soil hardening is very dangerous for an unfinished building, the walls of which have not yet hardened and have not acquired the necessary stability. In this particular case, uneven and deep cracks may form near the walls, and when the soil begins to melt after winter, the opposite process may most likely occur - settlement of the foundation, which can lead to new damage to the load-bearing walls.
- New repairs to a load-bearing wall may be needed after a small building or room has been added, as the foundation may not be able to support the new, additional weight and may settle.
- Uneven and unstable loads on the foundation of the house. For example, if the house is built in the Art Nouveau style, then luxurious and long glazing (which is very often used in this architectural style) can alternate quite often with small blind areas of the house, which will lead to a large difference in weight and ground settlement.
- If the pit is located next to the building, then very high temperature conditions also have a detrimental effect on the soil, which in the future can lead not only to soil settlement, but also to its excessive looseness. It is for these reasons that medium-sized cracks can form on the walls.
- Extra load due to neighboring houses. On a common foundation, the zones of greatest stress are superimposed on each other and allow the soil to settle very strongly.
- The reasons may lie not only in the soil itself, but also above it. For example, collecting heavy building material in large quantities next to an unfinished building and already in the ground itself, additional loads and stresses may appear, and it is these that can cause very strong external settlement of the foundation and the appearance of large cracks and splits.
- Constant impacts on the foundation. For example, if you are driving piles on the territory of a residential building, you are constantly moving heavy vehicles, compressors are running - this all leads to drowning sandy soil and strong softening of clay masses in the soil. The combination of all these factors can result in soil settlement and cracks in load-bearing walls.
- Influence high temperatures can cause vertical cracks and splits in the walls of your home. Repairing cracks in masonry is mainly required for longer buildings that do not have expansion joints.
- Overloading of brickwork. In this case, cracks may appear between the walls and on the pillars. Such cracks can be identified by the characteristic closedness and verticality of their direction. Overload of masonry. They appear in walls and on pillars. Characteristic sign crush cracks – closedness and vertical direction.
- Various non-hazardous shrinkage deformations can be observed on the plastered walls of a house - these can be small or small cracks that are very randomly scattered over the entire area of the wall and are mostly closed, and the most important thing is that they do not reach the edge of the wall. They appear due to shrinkage of an overly thick plaster mortar.
Crack sealing technology
There are many ways to repair a crack in brickwork:
- You can install a brick lock or a lock with an anchor;
- Reinforcement of walls using tension bolts;
- Repairing a through crack with steel staples;
- Carry out repair work in the area where the floor slab is unlocked;
- Strengthen the cracked wall;
- Make an overlay from hardened steel;
- Install special brackets
- Install the floor slab;
- Cover the wall with a finishing layer.
Watch this video for more details:
Conclusion
Apparently, from the above, it can be noted that the general condition of the house from building bricks must be monitored very carefully. Since the sooner a crack or split is detected, the less time and Money to eliminate this problem.
More on the topic:
A common problem is cracks in a brick house, which arise for various reasons. Correctly sealing cracks in brick walls allows you not only to externally cover up a cracked area on the wall, but also to prevent the problem from recurring. A gap can form on a load-bearing wall, which is the most dangerous, especially in a multi-story building.
Why it occurs: main reasons
If a brick wall is cracked, then you need to find out what the sources of the violation are. Brickwork often cracks on the front side, which may be due to incorrectly selected mortar or decorative tiles, or poor technology when cladding the façade of a building. Cracked brick walls on the outside are often explained by variables climatic conditions, in which severe frosts are replaced by hot days, as a result of which the foundation cannot withstand.
If horizontal or vertical cracks in the brickwork are not repaired and eliminated promptly and correctly, the entire structure may collapse.
Permanent sources
If a load-bearing brick wall bursts, the reason may lie in improper shrinkage multi-story building, which is due to different pressures on the foundation at the corners of the building. This happens in situations where one wall is completely blank from sand-lime brick, and the second is glazed. There are other constant factors that influence the appearance of cracks:
A defect in the wall may appear if the house is close to a highway where heavy vehicles often travel.
- External influence, in which water is pumped out, pits are dug and other manipulations are performed that lead to subsidence of the foundation.
- Specific influence of heaving type soil. When it freezes, there is an uneven rise, and when it thaws, the foundation shrinks unevenly on all sides.
- Mechanical factors. When the amount of reinforcement is reduced or missing expansion joints and omissions, the masonry or facing brick cracks.
- Impacts of dynamic type. These include works technical equipment which are carried out near multi-storey buildings. It is also possible for cracks to appear in brick walls if the road is close to where heavy vehicles regularly move.
Temporary
The appearance of such cracks in brick house is associated with the influence of such factors:
- natural deformation processes during shrinkage of the structure upon completion of construction;
- temporary load on the surface located next to housing;
- deviations during the construction of walls, for example, when connecting an old and a new building, in which the brickwork is performed incorrectly;
- wear of bricks during prolonged use due to high humidity.
How dangerous?
To monitor the dynamics of the crack, controller papers are glued to it.
If it burst multi-storey building and the repair work was not carried out on time, then the crack is dangerous due to a large discrepancy. To determine the level of danger, it is necessary to position the control clamp, observing the condition of the seam. If it is difficult to deal with the problem of damage to brick walls yourself, then call a specialist. The specialist has special plate-type beacons, which are registered with the supervisory authorities. If it is impossible to call the technician, perform the following actions:
- In the place where the brick breaks, glue a paper strip, indicating the date of its fixation.
- Make a small amount of cement mortar horizontal stripe over the existing crack.
Regularly check the condition of the control beacon. Sometimes it remains unchanged even after 2-3 months. On average, it takes a year to fully assess the condition of a brick wall. The damage to the controller shows how dangerous the crack is. If it breaks, it is necessary to tighten the walls brick house using technical solutions.
If the control beacon remains undamaged, then there is no need to worry and it will be enough to just hide the defect by covering it with plaster along the formed seams.
Elimination of external cracks
Such types of damage to masonry occur frequently and require the following actions:
Used to fix external cracks reinforced mesh.
- The place where the brick is cracked is thoroughly cleaned of plaster and dirt.
- Prime the wall with a solution containing deep penetration and glue the mesh for putty.
- Apply a special reinforced putty for external works. When choosing ordinary material The crack may soon reappear after a few weather exposures.
If deep cracks appear not only in the facing brick, but also in the masonry, then more radical measures. Sometimes it is necessary to reinforce the foundation with reinforcement. Major elimination of cracks in brick walls is carried out as follows:
- Clean all the plaster and attach a special metal mesh, which is secured with bolts.
- A solution of cement and sand is applied on top of the mesh, and the layer of plaster should be the same as the previous one so that there are no differences.
Good afternoon The house is 2 years old from the date of construction.
Foundation:
Reinforced monolithic tape (3 rows of 3 rods of 14 reinforcement, vertical rods every 1.5 meters) laid to a depth of 1.5 m, tape width 50 cm. Insulated blind area 1 meter wide, gutters, storm drainage system (i.e. water from drains are diverted several meters from the house). No vertical waterproofing was done. There is no drainage due to the complexity of the organization and the impossibility of draining water (house within the city, dense buildings).
The foundation was laid on the site of the old house with the complete removal of the previous foundation (there was a shallowly buried tape), there were no cellars. There was a toilet 2.5 meters deep - it was filled and compacted, it was located under the north-eastern corner of the current house.
Soil: 20-50 cm fertile layer, then 3-5 meters of water-saturated loam and clay. The peculiarity of the soil is that due to poor water permeability, loams are saturated with water most of the year. The water level in the well is from 20-50 cm in spring, to 2.5-3 meters at the end of dry summer. In “normal” weather - 1.5 meters from the ground level. After the construction of the house, the site is raised approximately 50 cm to the level of the neighbors.
Basement: 4 rows of hollow sand-lime bricks. Done horizontal waterproofing between the tape and the base and between the base and load-bearing walls(two layers of roofing material).
The walls are “well” masonry. The main walls are made of autoclaved gas silicate D600, then 5 cm of insulation (penoplex), a minimal ventilation gap, then a facade of half sand-lime brick. The connection between the wall and the cladding is continuous welded mesh 1.5 mm every three rows of gas silicate. The walls, insulation, and cladding rest entirely on the base.
The house has two floors. Armored belts were made between the first and second floors and between the second floor and the roof.
The lintels above the windows and openings for the main walls are made of factory reinforced concrete lintels (the lintels are 50-60 cm wider than the openings, the supporting points are reinforced with sand-lime bricks). The lintels on the cladding are made using metal corner 10x10 wide, 1 cm thick, corners are also 50-60 cm wider than the openings.
Noticed a crack under a wide window on the east side of the house. The crack runs from the window through 4 rows of bricks vertically, then moves slightly towards the veranda (3 more rows), closes before reaching the base of the 3rd row (see figure, the crack under the widest window and its direction is shown in red). It is noticeable that it opens slightly at the top (up to 1 mm).
Immediately after construction, a similar crack appeared under more narrow window on the south side (see figure) - it also passes through several rows. However, the crack on the south side looks more like expansion joint- when the wall heats up, it closes completely, but in cold weather it is slightly open (~1 mm).
The new crack under the wide window is not the same as the crack under the narrow window. The main difference is that it has a distinct opening. I have been observing the crack for several days and so far I have only noticed dynamics in its increase. Lighthouses are bursting. It does not depend on air temperature. Inspected the base with inside- noticed hairline cracks on the bricks approximately in the area of the crack under the window. There are no cracks in the foundation.
Please tell me whether to worry or not? What can be done to determine the cause of the crack and eliminate it...
If your yellow brick is cracked, the facing one, Don’t fall into paralysis, the jamb was planning.
Why do facing bricks crack? There may be several reasons for this - it could be shedding from the inside, due to improper external insulation of the walls of the house. There are known cases when the wall was completely rebuilt after one or two heating seasons. But, of course, other factors contribute to this.
Frequent sudden changes in temperature destroy the crystal lattice at the microscopic level, which leads to crumbling of the brick and loss of its density. The upper layers press on the lower ones, and as a result, cracks appear. Add to this the wonderful moments when the foundation leads, or the masonry leads by itself, and you get a magnificent vertical Grand Canyon on the front surface of your home. To avoid this ridiculous misunderstanding, to avoid unnecessary costs and loss of time, it is necessary to take into account the basic instructions for insulation and cladding.
Firstly, you need to make a small indentation so that between insulation material and the masonry left an air gap. This clearance must be provided small partitions, separating the insulation from the cladding, or it is fixed with a chain link. The ventilation properties of the air gap can be supplemented with the help of small drainage tubes. But the need for their use depends on the humidity of the area. It must be said that a modern perforated drainage pipe is also a product of the evolution of the construction industry. Behind last years plastic successfully replaced asbestos cement and ceramics, which were used previously.
Definitely, high-quality building materials play a major role in this event. Hyper-pressed brick TM Litos has long established itself in the building materials market, and today this company continues to delight its customers with constant additions to its range.
Perhaps someone may have the idea that it would be reasonable to place insulation inside the house. Overall, this is a futile undertaking. You will have to tinker with creating a vapor barrier layer so that the insulation ultimately does not lose its main heat-saving characteristics. In general, this is sometimes practiced, but not systematically, because it has a destructive effect on the very structure of the house. After all, the entire structure will be located in a zone of alternating temperatures. And this affects the crystal lattice at the microscopic level, as we know, very destructively.
So it's best to use correct diagrams for home insulation, using high-quality building materials, purchasing well-established brands.
One of the most popular materials for the construction of various objects is brick. However, this material is not ideal, and buildings made from it may experience defects and damage during use.
The most common defect is cracks in the wall. Correcting such a deficiency will not be difficult. To do this, you need to find out the cause of the crack and select the necessary technological method to eliminate it.
Peculiarities
The appearance of cracks on brick wall surfaces is a bad sign. However, with a properly laid foundation and correct execution cracks should not appear in the masonry.
Any visible flaw indicates non-compliance with construction or use standards and requires immediate correction of the cause of its appearance. The level of difficulty in sealing cracks in wall surfaces depends on their thickness and depth (sometimes you have to dismantle the required area of the brickwork).
You can repair the crack yourself if you follow our recommendations. We will help you eliminate any flaws (for example, a cracked surface of a load-bearing wall).
Causes of cracks
There are several reasons that create this unpleasant problem.
- Absence or unsuitability of connections between blocks. It appears in the form of a vertical crack along the entire height of the wall (occurs when constructing an extension to an existing building or when the work is not carried out correctly). It is possible to get rid of the gap only if a preliminary screed is made with a reinforced belt.
- Disadvantages when laying the foundation of a building: pouring the foundation to a shallow depth (less than the ground freezing level), using granular or mineral blocks, using concrete with poor strength and frost resistance. External manifestations: cracks in corner areas or rapidly growing cracks in upper parts brick wall surfaces.
This can be avoided by strengthening the perimeter of the foundation by creating a belt of concrete.
- Erroneous determination of soil quality, due to which errors occur when taking into account the load. This also includes soil deformation as a result of vibrations, natural phenomena(for example, active groundwater), as well as work being carried out nearby the object. All this leads to the appearance large cracks over the entire surface of the walls.
- Subsidence of the structure during the first year of operation. This manifests itself in the form of small and shallow cracks, which do not subsequently increase in size. To eliminate them, you only need to make minor repairs. . Cracks occur in areas of greatest stress. To avoid this, you need to distribute the load evenly and apply screed in the necessary places.
In order to repair a crack in the wall of a brick house, you should follow simple instructions:
- carefully inspect the entire building, identify and eliminate sources of cracks;
- periodically check the condition of wall surfaces;
- if the slightest cracks are detected, everything possible must be immediately done to prevent the spread of defects;
- when cracks form, it is necessary to clear the necessary internal area of the cracks, as well as to maximize interaction with finishing agents;
- After checking the walls and treating the cracks, you should cover up the detected cavities and make external insulation(or finishing).
Until the cause of the flaw is determined, there is no point in doing anything to correct it.
In addition, it is necessary to carry out constant check on the rate at which cracks increase. To do this, the gap must be marked with markings made of putty or concrete mortar. The desired strip sizes are 100x40mm with a layer thickness of less than ten millimeters. There is also a simpler method using paper. Checking for tears should be done every day for five weeks. If problems arise, it is necessary major renovation foundations of the structure and professional assistance.
It is worth remembering that a crack width greater than twenty millimeters is critical. In such a situation, it is necessary to auxiliary strengthening of crack edges and strengthening brick structures. Areas susceptible to destruction need to be dismantled.
If after checking you note that the crack has not grown, then you can use simple method sealing a crack in a brick wall.
Methods for fixing cracks
It is worth remembering that the occurrence of vertical cracks with a width of ten millimeters is a harbinger of the destruction of the walls of the structure. Therefore, repair this crack cement mortar It won’t work without a strong metal tie. In this regard, there are several repair options.
- Driving in special anchors made of metal into dowels mounted along the edges of the crack.
- Installation of longitudinal metal brackets with bends at the edges into pre-made holes in wall surfaces (later they should be covered with cement mortar). This method is the easiest and most reliable when correcting through cracks with outside.
- Strengthening brickwork from the inside with special fastening compounds. When installing fasteners into the wall surface, they must be recessed to a great depth (more than half the entire wall thickness). It is entirely possible to alternate fasteners. In practice, sealing cracks in brick wall surfaces is done after installing fixing structures.
- Using reinforcement mesh It is rational if you want to strengthen the entire area of the structure, because even a careful calculation of the foundation does not guarantee the absence of the risk of shrinkage. When choosing a method and material for repairing cracks, it is necessary to take into account the upcoming exterior finishing. All details from metal material are treated with anti-corrosion compounds and are masked by painting or covered with plaster.
How to seal cracks
Compositions for sealing cracks depend on the location of the flaws (inside, outside the house, or even under a window). It is possible to tighten the crack indoors with a gypsum-based composition or a mixture of lime and cement. For external installation, it is better to choose the most moisture-resistant materials (otherwise, the finish will not last long).
- For minor cracks(less than five millimeters wide) repair using cement mortar is suitable. In situations where microscopic shrinkage cracks do not exceed one millimeter, it is better to cover them with epoxy resin.
- For defects between five and ten millimeters in length sealing can be done with a composition of cement and sand in a ratio of 1: 2 or 1: 3. To achieve a plastic consistency, you need to add water.
- For more problematic cracks in brick wall structures (as well as in structures with a layer of air) great solution will become foam for installation. Such material requires mandatory protection from sun rays, therefore, after hardening, excess foaming is removed.
- For various types of defects will do cement composition with the addition of polymers from the M400 grade category. The compositions are passed through a fine grid with a medium-sized grain of sand or wood glue based on polyvinyl acetate and water. In such cases, PVA is added in excess (from one liter per bucket) and is added to the composition last.
- For problem areas walls(from the inside or outside) you can use silicone-based sealant. The advantages of such a product include the plasticity and long service life of the material, tolerance to changes in temperature and humidity, ease of sealing cracks using mounting gun. Disadvantage this method are large financial expenses, so for large areas and it doesn't fit the volume.
- If it is necessary to eliminate defects on the outside and if there is an outdated mortar, mixtures with the addition of brick crumbs are used.
At the end of the repair the condition brick surfaces must be carefully examined within two months.
