Why do Floor/Wall Seams Leak? A common homeowner problem is a water leak between where the cement wall meets the cement floor. This area leaks due to the fact the cement wall rests on a footing. During the construction phase, the footing should be perfectly cleaned of all soil particles before the forms are placed on the footing and the concrete is poured between the forms. Over time, the particles of soil will erode away...

What is a Lally Column? In the late 1800’s, John Lally was upset and bewildered by buildings collapsing as a result of fires or inadequate support and searched for a solution. In 1898, in the town of Waltham, Massachusetts, a steel beam support column was invented by none other than John Lally, hence the name lally columns. Why & When are Lally Columns looked at? During Construction Phase; by a town building inspector When a...

Upon reading this Sunday’s MetroWest Daily News, I came across an article written by Zachary Comeau, titled “Towns struggle to track missing water”. The article highlighted 13 MetroWest towns throughout Massachusetts (Ashland, Medway, Hopkinton, Bellingham, Framingham, Holliston, Milford, Sudbury, Franklin, Hopedale, Natick, Southborough, & Northborough) and their trouble with unaccounted water supply. According to the state Department of Environmental Protection’s water conservation standards, 10% is the maximum threshold of unaccounted water for a particular community....

How to rectify water coming up cracks in your basement floor or along the floor/wall seams? All kinds of things are recommended from “waterproofing” paint to excavating the exterior of the home to re-tar the foundation. What is the proper way to deal with water underneath your cement floor? The debate on the proper solution been going on for years: SUMP PUMP vs. FRENCH DRAIN? Sump Pump Advantages Solves the problem 95% of the time...

At A-1 Foundation Crack Repair, we often receive calls from homeowners with basement leaks that originate from their chimney. These leaks are a common occurrence and can come from a variety of sources that will either occur from above or below grade sources. Leaking Chimney – Above Grade Sources Cap Mortar Joints or holes in bricks Porous brick Crack Crown Flashing Gutter Condensation Leaking Chimney – Below Grade Sources Leaking between wall, floor & footing...

At A-1 Foundation Crack Repair, we often receive calls from homeowners and commercial accounts that mention puddles or dampness on their basement floor or garage floor when there has been no rain for days or even weeks.  The first areas to investigate when the garage or basement floor has dampness or puddles even when there has been no rain for weeks: Areas to Investigate: Leaking or sweating hot water tank. Leaking or sweating water pipes....

What are cold joints? A cold joint is the joining between the end of one concrete pour that has partially or fully cured and the beginning of a new pour. Cold joints are usually seen when new addition or garage is added onto a house, bulkheads, and even in new construction. Why do they Leak? Cold joints generally leak because this is a weak point in the concrete structure and there are voids at the...

What are Tie Rods? Tie rods/snap ties are small metal rods that are found in poured concrete foundations that go through the foundation from the inside to the outside. On the inside of the foundation the tie rods/ snap ties look like a series of small pinholes/dimples. When concrete is poured, tie rods are used to separate and hold the wood forms apart. Then the concrete is poured between the wood forms. When the concrete...

Why Do Garage floors Crack? There are four main reasons why garage floors crack. The first cause is from movement of the earth. Soil movement can be from the soil and/or water under the cement floor freezing. This freezing causes the soils to expand and exert pressure against the cement floor which causes cracking. Water can erode soils from under the garage/foundation floor that causes weakness in the floor which can result in floor cracks....

During the building process, holes are cored in foundation walls for the installation of sewer, electric, gas and oil lines. Often times, the gap between the wall and pipe itself is either improperly filled by the builder or not filled at all. Pipe penetrations in the foundation walls are often sealed the contractor with hydraulic cement. When attempts fail the homeowner or contractor usually then reapply more hydraulic cement, caulking or just about anything else...