Concrete crack repair is not something anyone wants to deal with. It can be costly, time-consuming and just plain annoying. Unfortunately, with concrete used so much throughout the world, cracks are bound to happen. Also, in large projects with so many individuals forming part the construction team, some form of human error when mixing, pouring, and/or curing the concrete is certainly a possibility. This is why a reliable crack repair system can sometimes be the difference between a successful project and an unsuccessful project.
Cracks in concrete are almost inevitable. At best, concrete cracks are just an unattractive nuisance. At worst, they lead to leaks that can damage the interior of the building, corrode steel reinforcements and ultimately shorten the life of the concrete structure.
Epoxy injection is designed and used for restoring the strength and integrity of cracked concrete structural elements. These cracks must be relatively dry for the epoxy to achieve adhesion. Epoxy will not displace or react with water and, therefore, is largely ineffective at waterproofing a leaking crack. If epoxy is injected while the crack is leaking, the water seepage may actually create channels through the epoxy, creating leaks in the new repair.
All injection products suffer from the disadvantage of being somewhat hit and miss because both the drilling of the holes and injection of the material is done blind. Although the success rate can be high, achieving 100% effectiveness is extremely difficult. Furthermore, if a crack has been previously injected and the original epoxy has cracked, it can be next to impossible to find the exact spot to re-inject and because the rest of the repair is a solid mass, the epoxy cannot flow to find the cracks.
A waterproofing product that can be used while the crack is still leaking and guarantee the crack will be repaired for the life of the concrete structure is what is needed.
Crystalline waterproofing systems provide both a short-term physical barrier to water and long-term chemical waterproofing through the growth of pore-blocking crystals. Crystalline waterproofing is roughly equal to injection in the skill and time required, but is significantly cheaper and far more reliable. The downside of the repair method is that it is rigid and will not tolerate movement of the concrete. With quality products and proper training, even badly cracked and leaking concrete can be successfully repaired to a dusty-dry state. Because repairs are inconvenient and often expensive, your best crack repair strategy is to focus on prevention and control.
Kryton’s Krystol Concrete Crack Repair System is the complete way to repair cracks and create durable, waterproof structures. Our Crack Repair System will repair the cracks and leaks for the life of the structure.
Here is our Stickman video on concrete crack repair:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfodzrLA-9w[/youtube]
