Cracks in the walls of buildings can appear suddenly, and not only in old houses, but also in new buildings, panel and brick. This, of course, is not the norm, but there is no need to panic about it. It is better to sensibly assess the scale and understand how dangerous the destruction is in order to determine how to eliminate it. All cracks are divided into two types:

• Passive– if the cracking occurred simultaneously and does not go further, in this case you can eliminate the defect yourself;
• Active– if a crack in the wall of a house expands or lengthens over time, there is a risk of the wall or building collapsing, in this case you need to call specialists from the specialized service, who will make a decision.

Causes of cracks in walls

There are dozens of reasons why a building deforms and, as a consequence, serious faults or “spider webs” appear. They are caused by various factors, but the most common is problems with the foundation. It is also the most dangerous and difficult, since in some cases you have to redo everything anew, or somehow strengthen the foundation, and this is often not easy.

So, let’s look in detail at why cracks appear on the walls in various buildings, whether to worry, and how to repair them.

Why do wall cracks occur so often in new homes?

Cracking of new buildings is a fairly common phenomenon. 9 out of 10 houses may crack in a few years due to shrinkage, but, as a rule, cracks on the walls in a new house are small and passive, and after sealing there are no problems.

Experts do not recommend making major renovations in the first year and a half, and if your apartment is on the lower floors, and many people will be doing renovations on top, you should wait a little longer. The fact is that all the neighbors above will “add” weight to the structure with plaster and finishing, which means the house will shrink even more noticeably.

Small cracks on the walls in a new house do not seem to be terrible, but they can lead to tiles falling off, wallpaper deformation and similar problems. It is better to wait with finishing than to redo everything again. In addition, small “cobwebs” under the wallpaper will not be noticeable, and it is advisable to repair it as soon as it appears.

Why did a crack appear in the wall of a house that no longer shrinks?

In more lived-in and seemingly strong houses, cracks can appear completely unexpectedly, and usually they are what frighten residents the most. The reasons in this case can be very different.

• Violation of construction technology, in which the dressing of the brick wall was incorrectly performed. For many years everything is fine, and then a fault appears, which is also difficult to repair.
• Violation of communication technology. It happens that first a house is built, and then communications are brought in, as a result of which the foundation is dug up - this is one of the common reasons horizontal cracks in the wall.
• The foundation may settle and by itself, for example, due to an incorrectly calculated load or insufficiently competent design without specialized calculations. Owners of private houses often suffer from this because they do not conduct geodetic surveys, do not study the soil characteristics, and choose the wrong type of foundation. Causes of cracks in walls can also include improperly placed sand under the foundation, or groundwater not taken into account during construction.

Why did a crack appear on the wall of the old house?

In old houses that have stood for decades without problems, sudden cracking can occur due to new construction taking place nearby, digging a pit nearby, or vibrations occurring when installing piles or re-laying a road. Often problems arise due to unsuccessful, ill-conceived redevelopment, when the new owner demolishes load-bearing supports, or illegal construction of basements and subfloors, as a result of which the load shifts and the foundation suffers. Crack outer wall at home also arises due to the fact that the mortar can crumble over time, and if floors are added to the house, or it is extended, the problem can become critical.

Problem with a crack in the load-bearing wall at the base of the building

Another common answer to the question, why do cracks appear on walls? – ill-conceived redevelopments, especially on the ground and first floors. This happens when residential apartments transferred to non-residential stock, setting up shops or service establishments, and at the same time affecting load-bearing walls. The load on those remaining is greater, and the house is destroyed from the inside, and the residents of the upper floors are usually the first to notice the problem.

It is usually impossible to resolve the issue with the owners of the premises, so if cracks appear on the internal walls, and at the same time below there are offices or retail premises, it is necessary to contact the relevant authorities to check the condition of the building.

Types of cracks in walls

You can try to determine the cause of cracking yourself, focusing on the direction of the fault: vertical, horizontal, in the corner. In brick walls the direction may be broken, but The general trend usually traceable.

• Vertical cracks. Temperature deformation may occur in the middle part of the building if there is a problem with expansion joints. In places of supports and beams - due to overloading of the walls (this is very dangerous). The reason may also be a weak foundation, as a result of which one part of the building settles differently.
• Horizontal cracks on the wall of the house can be caused by subsidence of the foundation in its central part, and moisture entering the walls and foundation. They are less dangerous for the structure as a whole, but it is necessary to check the quality of the insulation. The causes of horizontal cracks in the wall are usually less dangerous, and the building collapses more slowly than with vertical ones. But it is also more difficult to fasten the structure; serious measures may be required to correct the situation.
• In the corner of the wall destruction can occur due to flooding of the foundation, this often happens when moisture drips from the roof into this corner. Microcracks are usually harmless, although they are more difficult to repair.

In any case, if there is a crack in the wall of the house, you should call specialists who will determine the cause and scale of the problem.

What kind of cracks in the walls of a house are dangerous?

A fine web of cracks is generally not dangerous, no matter where it is located. But in any case, it is better to control this process.

To determine the danger, that is, the future divergence of the wall, various beacons are used. In domestic conditions, to control a crack in a wall inside a house, you can use paper or plaster, which is applied to the crack at its different ends, and possibly in the middle. If the line is broken, you will need to apply beacons to all areas. Be sure to write down the installation date next to it.

It happens that it is not possible to install a beacon on an external wall yourself if the fault occurs on high floors. In addition, plaster and paper simply will not withstand weather conditions, and a gypsum beacon can generally crack due to temperature changes. There are other options for beacons, which are available to specialized specialists, and are suitable for external monitoring.

If over the course of 8-12 months a crack in the outer wall of a house or inside it has not changed or enlarged, it can be considered passive, stable, and can be repaired.

If the beacon was deformed or collapsed, be sure to call specialists, this means that the process is active and measures need to be taken.

Crack in the wall of a house: what to do and how to repair it

There are many ways to solve the problem, and the choice of a particular one depends on the characteristics of the fault and its development. Keep in mind: if a large crack in the wall quickly spreads and the beacons are destroyed, you are unlikely to cope on your own; you may have to fasten the house with metal plates, raise the building to adjust the foundation, strengthen it, put supports instead of load-bearing walls, etc.

Crack in the outer wall

Small stable cracks are cleaned of plaster and finishing, a deep penetration primer is applied, and the entire crack is covered with a putty mesh so that it reliably covers the edges. Putty is applied on top, which is better reinforced, as it will withstand temperature changes and exposure to weather conditions.

Cracks in the brick are sealed using a metal mesh for plaster, which is secured with bolts. A layer of mortar (cement + sand) is applied to it.

A large crack in the wall is being filled polyurethane foam, in this case, you first need to expand and clean it, perhaps rinse it with water and dry it so that more solution gets inside. There are various attachments for the cylinders, so that even difficult bends can be sealed.

Cracks in concrete are also cleaned, blown out with foam and sealed with a cement-sand mixture.

Crack in the corner of the wall

It especially often occurs at the joints of slabs, and if it is a corner of the house, then it can blow noticeably from it. It is sealed either with polyurethane foam and then plastered, or a system of metal plates is used; the entire house, if the problem is serious, or part of it can be pulled together.

IN multi-storey buildings you have to do everything from the inside, or order insulation along with sealing cracks. If the fault is large, it must be deepened and thoroughly cleaned, preferably construction vacuum cleaner, or at least with a brush, and the foam is applied to the primer that has not yet dried.

Wall cracks inside the house

A small cobweb that formed as a result of shrinkage of new buildings, can be easily covered up: you will need a putty mesh and a deep penetration primer. A primer is applied to the cleaned wall with the coating removed, covered with a mesh, and sealed with putty. Then, after drying, the surface can be rubbed and painted, or covered with wallpaper. It's better to wait a little to make sure the problem doesn't happen again.

If there is a crack in the wall concrete house , it needs to be expanded, creating 45-degree angles, and primed well. Sealing is carried out either concrete mortar, or sealant. The sealant is better because it is a little “rubbery,” which means that future movements will be compensated and the crack will not expand. Do not use silicone-based sealant, as nothing sticks to it and it will be difficult to paint over or wallpaper it later. A crack in the wall of a house can also be sealed with any cement-based mixtures, for example, tile adhesive, or plaster. You can use an emulsion to which cement is added, or there is even more a budget option– PVA glue and cement. This mixture can be applied with a spatula, and special guns are used for the sealant to help squeeze it out of the tube. The remaining mixture is removed with a spatula flush with the wall.

Cracks in a plasterboard wall usually appear due to excess humidity, dampness, or improper installation. If flooding occurs, the sheets need to be changed; in other cases, you can save the situation using a special putty for drywall, or use acrylic (sold in the same tubes as sealant). Another option is to glue fiberglass; it is more reliable, although more expensive and labor-intensive. All these methods can only be used if high-quality fastening plasterboard sheet to the wall, if it does not wobble, otherwise you need to change the sheet itself.

Vertical and horizontal cracks on the wall brick houses are sealed up different ways, depending on the depth and nature of the fault. In any case, if the crack is active, seal it in simple ways there is no point, since it will continue to grow. Repair only makes sense when the fault has stopped and been stable for several months. Small cracks on internal brick walls are repaired cement mortar, if the fracture is larger than 7-10 mm, you need to widen it with a hammer (for better adhesion of the mortar) and seal it with a mixture of cement and sand. A crack larger than 10mm requires professional intervention, regardless of whether it is expanding or not.

Crack in the wall of a house: what to do if the wall is load-bearing?

You can repair cracks yourself only if the crack is small and does not expand. In this case, the same technologies are used as when repairing minor damage in brick wall. But it is important to understand that a fault in a load-bearing wall can lead to the collapse of the entire building, so it is worth contacting specialists. They will check the condition of the building and find out why the cracks in the wall appeared in the first place: perhaps the neighbors did a redevelopment somewhere, or something happened in the basement of the building, and it urgently needs to be strengthened, water pumped out, the roof raised and the load reduced.

Crack in a load-bearing wall is always very dangerous, so you should not delay it, especially if it is active and expanding. It is already possible to identify a dangerous fault in a day or two, placing a simple plaster or paper beacon, and checking its safety and absence of deformation. In any case, it's better to be safe.

Through cracks in the walls

Most dangerous look cracking, in which the building can be considered unsafe. There are many reasons for this phenomenon, but most often there are problems with the foundation or extension, or construction work ongoing nearby.

To seal through cracks in the walls, a lime-cement mortar is used; if the crack is large, brick fragments can be added to it. Formwork may be needed to hold the mortar in place until it hardens completely.

Sometimes they use metal plates made of durable material, and at least three strips will be needed, sometimes more. They are secured with bolts and dowels. After fixing, a specialist’s decision is required - if a crack appears in the wall of the house, then the problem is already quite serious. The crack can be repaired from the inside with polyurethane foam, but in any case, the cause must be eliminated.

Conclusion

If a crack appears in the wall of the house, evaluate it the crack is growing, visually (in the case of “cobweb” cracks) or using a beacon. For sealing different types walls, various materials and technologies are used, but if the crack is growing or is itself large, it is better to consult with specialists. Minor repairs can be carried out independently, but only if the fault is stable and there is no reason to believe that in the future cracks in the walls of buildings can lead to emergency situation.

Anastasia Bezdenezhnykh

Melwood company expert

Spent 449 construction expertise, 94 forensic examinations

In company with 2014 of the year

Any violation of construction technology load-bearing structures is fraught with cracks opening. In 90% of cases, the cause is the foundation of the house (soil) or the foundation, which can only be strengthened using one of the technologies below.

If the crack on the surface of the wall is horizontal (encircling, local), the foundation has nothing to do with it. The reason most often lies in sagging jumpers or rafter system. In the absence of tightening, the hanging rafters try to push the opposite walls apart.

There are several main reasons why the foundation has sunk and cracks have appeared in the house. The main ones are traditionally:

• areas under the foundation consisting of subsidence soils - rupture of the foundation tape, change in the geometry of the structure;
• swelling forces - uneven loads tear the foundation, walls warp;
• violation of construction technologies - low grade of concrete, loading of the foundation to 70% strength, low reinforcement coefficient, corrosion of reinforcement, winter concreting without heating.

If the foundation has lost its integrity, restoration is necessary; in other cases, it is enough to strengthen the base under the sole of the tape in certain areas. There are several technologies for this.

Attention! A crack is a “pointer” that makes it easier to find the boundaries of subsidence or swelling soils. This makes localization easier repair work specialists.

There are inclined and vertical cracks with divergence upward or downward, which most accurately indicate the nature of the deformation:

• a vertical crack diverging upward in the middle part of the wall - swelling of this particular area;
• vertical gap, divergence downwards - subsidence of soil in the middle of the house;
• a similar defect with a divergence downwards is swelling on both sides of the wall due to lateral freezing;
• inclined crack from the corner to the center of the facade - sank backfilling adjacent wall;
• inclined crack from the center to the corner - the shrinkage funnel is located directly under this crack;
• cracks converging in the shape of an arch – soil subsidence in the central part of the foundation strip.

A crack on the wall extends upward.

After determining the cause, in any case, you will have to expose the foundation with a trench close to the tape to carry out measures to strengthen the soil, lay drainage, install “bulls”, make a clip and other work.

Soil strengthening

If the foundation has vertical movements on soils with low design resistance to loads from the weight of the building (embankment, peat bog, silty sand), it is necessary to strengthen the foundation using the following technology:

• lifting the foundation with jacks - to the design level in compliance with safety measures (partial or complete unloading with supports), meaning the lifting of sagging parts;
• drilling holes - for immersing injectors with a diameter of 20 - 40 mm;
• filling voids – liquid glass(silicatization), cement laitance (cementation), synthetic resins (smolization) or hot bitumen (bitumenization).

These substances reduce water permeability, stabilize unstable soils, and increase design resistance(bearing capacity) of the foundation. The disadvantage of the method is the need to use professional equipment capable of injecting binders under a pressure of 5–10 atmospheres. Other methods are not available to individual developers; they are used by restoration teams for architectural monuments.

Attention! These actions may not be enough, since if the foundation subsides in a separate area, this means its destruction in 70% of cases. Instead of costly dismantling of the building, tape restoration methods are used.

Strengthening the foundation

There are several ways to strengthen the foundation strip depending on the condition of the reinforced concrete structure:

• unloading – inserting beams into load-bearing walls to support the masonry;
• restoration of bearing capacity - drainage for drainage of soil, soil, surface waters, relaying, replacement, protection from mechanical destruction (weathering, corrosion);
• increasing the load-bearing capacity – clips made of monolithic concrete, brickwork, reinforced concrete slabs;
• hardening - epoxy, polymer resins, cement mortar, and penetrating compounds are introduced into the drilled holes;
• special methods - screw piles, pressed piles, “bulls” in the corners, injection of cement mortar into the masonry.

If the foundation has non-through cracks caused by weathering, the surface is plastered or targeted, coated or impregnated with penetrating mixtures. Tarquetting is called pressure (0.4 - 0.6 MPa) spraying with cement laitance with a minimum amount of quartz sand.

To strengthen prefabricated foundation clip, use technology:

• strip exposure - a trench along the wall to a depth just below the base;
• reinforcement - own frame by analogy with a strip foundation, installation of rods in holes drilled in the foundation, tying them to the frame rods;
• formwork - below the blind area or to the entire height of the basement;
• concreting – standard installation mixtures.

After stripping top part clips rising above ground level are protected from moisture by low tides.

Attention! Unlike the underlying layer created during the construction of the foundation, non-metallic materials under the expansion (cage) are compacted into the ground without laying geotextiles.

Reinforcing ring around the foundation.

When manufacturing a reinforced concrete cage, the following points should be taken into account:

• width – from 15 cm on each side for reinforced concrete, from 20 cm for concrete;
• thickness of the underlying layer - from 10 cm of crushed stone or sand;
• anchoring with the existing tape - rods with a diameter of 20 mm to a depth of 12-25 cm, rod length 25-40 cm, step 1 - 1.5 m;
• reinforcement of the cage - mesh with a cell of 15 x 15 cm for the lower belt, 10 x 10 cm for the upper belt;
• concrete – class B10 – B15.

When restoring brick strip foundations, it is necessary to remove crumbled stone. When repairing reinforced concrete structures, the oxide film should be removed from the surface and the roughness should be increased by notching.

If it is not possible to increase the bearing capacity of the soil under the foundation (the thickness of the loose layer is significant), the technology of strengthening the underground structure with piles is used:

• short driven ones - pipes with a diameter of 57 - 89 mm with a pointed tip made from their body (analogous to SBC, but without a blade) are driven in next to the foundation and embedded in the holder;
• external screws - SHS are immersed around the perimeter, the building is raised, the ends are tied with a metal grillage, the house is lowered onto a new foundation (suitable for wooden houses);
• “bulls” - the method is used when settling corners, screw piles are screwed in obliquely on both sides of the corner, a beam (I-beam, channel) is welded onto their heads, on which the corner of the foundation rests.

The advantage of the technology is the unloading of the existing foundation. The piles are guaranteed to penetrate through unstable horizons and rest on a bearing layer with high resistance.

These measures are usually carried out as a complex, since when individual sections settle, the integrity of a monolithic or prefabricated structure is violated. For example, if the foundation partially rests on subsidence soil, the base is first strengthened, after which a reinforced cage is poured. When using screw piles, there is no need to strengthen the foundation, however, after raising the foundation to the design level, it is necessary to fill the voids formed under it with concrete or cement mortar.

Another option for strengthening the foundation with piles.

When the casing is deepened by 0.7 meters or more, standard thermal insulation measures are taken. This is necessary to reduce the pulling forces during swelling:

• vertical surface high-density polystyrene foam casings + horizontal thermal insulation of the blind area 0.6 - 1.2 m wide at a depth of 0.3 - 0.4 m;
• sand, crushed stone in the sinuses of the trench + at the level of the base of the cage;
• or crush-sliding thermal insulation - EPS rigidly fixed on the vertical surface of the casing, polyethylene film(attached only in the upper part), polystyrene foam PSB-S without attachment to the holder (pressed to the film with backfill material).

In some cases, it is possible to sufficiently strengthen the foundation in certain areas and strengthen the foundation using one of the indicated methods, but sometimes this may not be enough.

A cracked wall should not be treated carelessly. A crack in the wall of a house is a consequence of a violation of the technology for constructing the foundation or walls. After reading our short educational program, you will learn how to correctly determine the cause of cracks based on indirect signs. And, as a result, you will be able to quickly eliminate the mistake, avoiding further complications.

Causes of cracks

Due to the movement of soil layers, the entire building tilts in one direction or the other, but in general the building is held tightly and monolithically, thanks to the massive and strong foundation. And this is precisely what is frightening: if cracks appear on the wall, it means that the foundation is not fulfilling its function.

Meanwhile there is whole line reasons due to which cracks can form without destruction of the base. And if the foundation is not rigid enough or the supporting soils do not evenly accept the load, the tape will bend more than the walls can withstand. We can safely say that cracks appear due to imperfections in the building design, design errors or shortcomings during construction.

Cracks may be the result of errors in design, construction or improper operation of the building

The root cause is the fact that the soil layer under the foundation is heterogeneous. In areas with high density the pressure is greater, due to which the building rests on only a few points and deforms under its own weight. main feature is that the density of sites can vary significantly over time or depending on weather conditions. Due to freezing, soil heaves occurs, when wet, it becomes too soft, and less often geological, seismic and geomorphological factors come into play.

Simply repairing or hiding a crack is not enough; you should find out the cause of its formation and only then begin restoration.

How to determine the cause of a crack

When cracks are first detected, it is necessary to begin close monitoring of their development, simultaneously recording temperature changes and the presence of precipitation during this period. To have the most complete understanding of cracking patterns, it is helpful to keep a detailed log throughout the year.

To visualize changes in the width of cracks, small lumps of alabaster, soaked to the consistency of plasticine, are attached to them. Beacons are installed along the entire length of the crack every meter. By checking the marks periodically, for example after a month, two, and so on, we can draw a conclusion about the nature of the damage:

1. If the mark has cracked or fallen off, it means the crack is continuing to expand. The gap in the mark can be used to judge the speed of divergence.
2. If the mark is cracked, there is no gap, the wall is exposed dynamic loads, but there is no longer any tension in the material, and no further discrepancies are observed.
3. If the mark remains intact, it means there is no stress in the wall. The crack was the result of one-time shrinkage.

To obtain more accurate information, observations are continued over a long period, and damaged tags are replaced with new ones, recording the previous result.

Any hard but brittle material that can detect the slightest deformation of the base can be used as marks.

The shape of the cracks can say a lot about the nature of the movement. If the fracture site is smooth, the edge is sharp and has no chips, then the crack has expanded and simply torn the lighthouse. If the edges of the crack on the lighthouse have chipped edges, or it has fallen off completely, most likely, the crack, on the contrary, has decreased, and the lighthouse has collapsed from compression.

The special shape of the tags and beacons helps to identify the most minor fluctuations

By projecting these changes onto the geometric model of the house and foundation, you can high accuracy establish how settlement occurs over a long period of time, whether it depends on the wetness of the ground during rain, where there are places of high and low density.

And yet most full information can only provide a comprehensive analysis performed by specialists based on an examination, which includes:

• strength control supporting structures;
• analysis of supporting soils;
• identifying hidden cracks or uneven load distribution.

Ultimately, with your own observations or with outside help, it will be possible to draw up an action plan to strengthen the foundation and walls of the building and eliminate cracks.

We eliminate the cause, get rid of the crack

The most dangerous case is when the crack continues to expand. This indicates that the walls of the building or the foundation will be irreparably damaged. The problem can be radically solved only by completely rebuilding the damaged section of the building. However, if you notice the problem in time, it will help much less radical way- covering the house.

Everything is done quite simply:

1. Steel corners with a 100 mm flange are installed at the outer corners.
2. On crutches, at least two lines of smooth reinforcement are laid along the walls - upper and lower.
3. A thread is cut on each rod: left on one side, right on the other. Nuts are screwed onto the reinforcement and welded to the corners.
4. A meter from the corner, on the side of the reinforcing bars, a small parallel rod is welded so that rotation can be transmitted with a regular adjustable wrench.
5. During final tightening, two people twist the bar simultaneously, gradually increasing the tension.

In this case, the cracks literally melt before our eyes, all that remains is to replace the protective plaster of the walls and base, strengthening it steel mesh.

An example of tightening a building along the plinth

It is possible that the markers on the crack will remain intact for a long time or the gap will constantly expand and contract, but overall not increase. This a clear sign that the foundation is working normally, and that there were initially excess stresses in the wall material, which resulted in a crack.

To strengthen the wall in a problem area use:

• external reinforcement with carbon fiber, steel mesh;
• anchors and metal frames;
• embedded reinforcing elements along grooves;
• injection method.

It is important to close the crack and restore the strength of the structure. If the cause was improper ligation of brick rows, then it is quite possible that the only effective remedy will be a complete or partial re-lining of the wall in the emergency area.

Laying reinforcement in the grooves helps to contain further deformations

Massive reinforcement with an external frame with anchorage to Wall

Strengthening walls with external carbon fiber reinforcement

Repairing cracks using the injection method

To seal any cracks, it is necessary to clean it along its entire length and depth from dirt, dust, remove the layer of mortar and base material, expanding it to 15 mm or more. The resulting gap is filled with mortar, having previously been reinforced using one of the methods listed above.

Heaving as a result of soil soaking

To prevent the soil under the foundation from becoming oversaturated with moisture, a blind area is installed around the house and the drainage pipes are pulled as far away as possible. However, over time, the screed may collapse, and rainwater will seep directly under the foundation, washing it away.

Typically, a sign of such a phenomenon is the gradual expansion of cracks, which occurs mainly during heavy rainfall or some time after it. It is typical for such phenomena that cracks seem to “split off” the corners of the house, passing through the nearest window openings.

Frost heaving can destroy the foundation of a house

The foundation continues to remain intact, but the overall tilt of the building may increase from year to year. In addition, no one knows how much the next shrinkage will occur and how this will affect the integrity of the concrete base. Heaving due to high humidity may also occur due to rising water.

Will help solve the problem qualitatively drainage system, collected around the perimeter of the building to drain groundwater and overhead water away from the foundation. It is necessary to expose the foundation to the base, lay drainage pipe to the prepared sand and gravel cushion along the perimeter of the foundation and divert to the side. To discharge the water it is necessary to prepare drainage well or lead the pipe to the nearest body of water.

Drainage for removing groundwater from atmospheric precipitation and melt water from the base of the foundation

A wide blind area will not allow precipitation to flow under the foundation

An obligatory step to eliminate the problem is the restoration of the cement blind area and its expansion. Usually for shallow strip foundation A blind area about 40-60 cm wide is sufficient, and for buried foundations - up to one and a half meters. It would also not be superfluous to install ebb tides and reset rainwater 4-5 meters from the house.

What to do if the problem is in the foundation

If no measures are successful, you will have to look for the problem in the foundation. A prerequisite for this may be not only the visible formation of a crack in the exposed area, but also the general structural unsuitability of the base, causing insufficient rigidity.

Local foundation faults should be repaired immediately. First, a dig is made to a depth of 60-100 cm under the bottom edge of the tape and up to 2 meters wide. A pedestal reinforced with reinforcement is poured under the fracture site, after which the pit dries, the pit is expanded another meter in each direction and topped up again.

Strengthening the foundation with piles

Do not forget that the reason may be an initial miscalculation in the design of the house or failure to comply with the requirements during construction:

• the properties of supporting soils are not taken into account;
• the foundation depth is incorrectly selected to the actual freezing depth;
• the width of the foundation is not enough for real loads, etc.

Strengthening the foundation with additional filling reinforced concrete along the perimeter of the building

If cracks appear in the foundation and walls of the house, then measures should be immediately taken to strengthen the foundation, for example screw piles, side or bottom gravy. It is possible to determine which amplification method is required only based on data construction expertise and preparation of the appropriate project, which is best left to professional designers.

Crack in the wall panel house, what to do? To positively resolve this issue, you simply need to consider it systematically and thoroughly.

Determining the root causes, qualitative analysis is half the battle. And deal with the actual solution on your own or by responsible organizations.

Open cracks in a panel house

There are two types of cracks in walls: open and closed. The names speak for themselves.

Closed cracks are located inside the walls and are not visible without special equipment. And open ones can be seen with the naked eye.

Any of these types of cracks is most often developing and without a set of measures to eliminate it will only lead to deterioration.

It is also worth paying close attention to the location of the crack in the outer or interior wall, in a load-bearing or partition wall, possibly on the ceiling or floor.

To independently analyze the risk of developing a split, it is possible to simply install a plaster beacon. If the lighthouse remains intact during the season, it means that there is no crack development and it can be repaired.

At the same time, growing cracks will show their variability and will constantly increase in volume. Stable cracks are the most favorable when considering this problem.

In addition, there are technological gaps that appear during the drying of components used in finishing and construction.

To avoid this type of crevices, various fastening materials resembling meshes are usually used. These cracks will not lead to the destruction of structures, but will only change its aesthetics.

If you try as hard as possible to distribute the cracks in the walls into subgroups, you will get the following picture:

• For reasons: additive, deformation, temperature, structural, and also resulting from wear or weathering of the walls.
• By destruction: cuts, crushing and ruptures.
• In direction: oblique, vertical and horizontal direction.
• In shape: curvilinear, straight and closed (not touching the edges of the walls) contour.
• By depth: external and through crevices.
• By risk level: safe and dangerous.
• By time: stable-permanent and unstable-permanent fractures.
• By opening: large, small, hairy, developed.

What causes cracks in the walls of a panel house?

If the technology is followed and the operating rules are not violated, then the possible reasons for the formation of cracks are the following:

1. Depreciation is the wear and tear of material. End of service life. For example, concrete will last 80-150 years.
2. Erosion, weathering. Much faster natural environment leads to weakening, is a catalyst.
3. The action of the soil itself and groundwater. Quite a common reason. In addition, washed away ones pose a danger groundwater foundation bases and cyclic freezing of the soil.
4. Humidity and temperature fluctuations are the most negative factor. Freeze-thaw cycles widen the crack even when the walls are quite resistant to this process.

If technologies were not taken into account responsibly enough, and violations of operating rules occur, then the reasons may be hidden in the following:

1. Existence of extensions or superstructures. Certain compressive stresses are generated, as a result of which the foundation cushion settles in the soil. Moreover, adjacent cracks may contain inclined cracking in the “downward” direction, and with an opening in the “upward” direction. This also occurs when the superstructure passes along the entire length of the building.
2. Fluctuating pressure on the foundation along the length of the building. This is often affected by large lengths of glazed areas. This affects the uneven settlement of the foundation.
3. Construction of a pit near an already constructed structure. Soil displacements cause shifting loads, and accordingly oblique cracks appear, it’s simple.
4. Interaction between adjacent foundations. With this type of impact, the loads add up and increase the overall point compression of the soil. If one of the buildings was built earlier, then the slope goes in its direction.
5. Impact of loads on surfaces. This is storage on the ground near walls various materials, industrial raw materials and any other products. The result is that the soil contracts, the foundation settles, and cracks are created.
6. Dynamic influences. This includes moving vehicles, driving piles, the operation of compressors and boilers in various workshops, and any similar vibrations. Also, under the influence of such loads, settlement of the foundation occurs.
7. Freezing and freezing of soils. Freezing causes foundations to heave. This is especially dangerous during construction, when the walls have low bending rigidity. An extremely negative point is that the walls on which the remaining floors are erected are already being built with these deviations present.
8. Changes in shape during shrinkage. During shrinkage, breaks often occur in the corners of wall openings in buildings and acquire a radial direction. Such clefts are simply not aesthetically pleasing. On plastered surfaces, small, closed, multidirectional or oriented cracks sometimes form that do not reach the corners. Their reason is the drying of a solution with high fat content.
9. Wall overload. It threatens to destroy the walls and is accompanied by cracking of the main structures. Cracks of this kind are the initial sign of wall destruction and are extremely dangerous.

In a good way, in order to understand the reasons for the occurrence, you need documentation of the design history, engineering geology, operation of the structure, the location of underground communications and a work project with an author's supervision log.

Danger of a crack in the wall, identification of risks

Having determined the causes of cracking, you can roughly determine the degree of danger of their presence in the wall.

For an objective assessment, you will have to examine the cracks from your neighbors’ apartments and carefully look to see if there have been any redevelopments there. At good relations, the neighbors will show you without any problems, otherwise you will have to collect a commission.

For the most part, the cracks described are harmless. In new buildings, during the first 5 years, while the house “settles”, this is a fairly normal phenomenon, natural shrinkage.

The degree of danger of cracks in the wall

But perestroika or major reconstruction is already dangerous. The degree of danger is usually determined as follows: climbers place plaster notes or strips of special paper.

And within 3-4 weeks they monitor whether cracking will appear on the gypsum mark. When a crack appears, you need to observe for another 8-12 weeks. And if it really grows, you definitely need to contact an expert in the construction field.

Since in this case it is possible to intervene and strengthen the existing foundation of the building.

Construction of additional reinforcing structures - trenches along the foundation with reinforcement and filling. Moreover, the reinforcement must be connected to the existing foundation.

Holes are drilled in the foundation, pieces of reinforcement are driven in, and on the other side they are welded to the laid rods. These types of work can only be performed by experienced specialists.

But we will not consider this extreme point, but will consider how to generally cope with the most dangerous cracks on our own.

How to repair cracks in walls yourself?

If there is a problem - a crack in, and there is no idea what to do, first you should decide on its type.

If the size of the crack is insignificant, the easiest way is to eliminate it with foam, followed by plaster and putty. But don't fill big cracks construction foam or other components, as this will speed up the crushing.

Through cracks are the most dangerous and their rather sensitive expansion will lead to the fall of the floor slabs. This solution can only be a temporary solution for surviving the winter, during which it is irrational to do so.

In addition, professionals in many cases advise using gypsum mixtures, they are given time easy to find. Execution technology the repair is quite simple. How to cover cracks in an apartment wall? The crack “opens up”, is cleared of dust and dirt, the surface is washed with water and dries.

After reading the instructions, mix it with water, stir until smooth without any clots and seal the crack.

Apply the solution using a spatula. Do not forget that gypsum tends to expand, so you need to make sure that it is sufficient quantity mortar in cracks.

If you do not take this point into account, there will be more gypsum than necessary, the crack will worsen, and a new displacement of the wall will arise.

Once the removal is complete, you need to let the plaster dry completely, this is about 5-6 hours. Then use sandpaper to clean off any remaining plaster. And admire the updated smooth wall.

You can also prepare the good old building mixture 3 to 1, parts sand to parts cement, adding water. This solution will be most suitable for uniformity to the panel wall.

It is applied in the same way as gypsum mortar, using a spatula. When dry, it has less impact on the wall, but here you need to understand a little about the properties of sand, it should not be greasy.

To stop the development of large cracks, you can install a channel (anchor) or metal plates. To do this, the wall is cleared of plaster, approximately 50 cm in each direction from the edge of the crack, and plates are installed.

They are fastened with dowels or long bolts, and for the second option it is better to drill through the wall. First, everything should be prepared, cleaned and blown with foam. And then insert the anchors into the prepared place and secure with the specified fasteners.

Now there is enough information about what to do when a crack is detected in the walls of a panel house to resolve the issue.

Who should pay for cracks in the walls of a panel house?

Crack in the wall apartment building- where to contact

First, you need to decide on the situation and find the real root cause. These may be the builders themselves, also developers, neighbors or third parties.

To do this you need to contact management company or partnership, which first draw up a deed, install beacons and control their position.

And then follow the procedure described earlier. If the situation is complicated, with a fairly large crack, when the management company and the HOA do not take any action, it is worth filing an application with the City Housing Inspectorate and waiting for the commission to appear.

But it is worth remembering that since 2010 the Supreme arbitration court The Russian Federation issued a resolution, the essence of which is that this issue is completely assigned to the management company.

And then she deals with the search for the root cause and the culprits, if any. The commission, which must include an engineer from the BTI, must reflect in the act everything that is said regarding the cracks in question, objectively. It is also advisable to have neighbors as witnesses.