Floor cracks are something many homeowners do not consider. You won’t even see them especially if they are under floor coverings. However, floor cracks tell us that there are issues occurring underneath your home. Floor cracks are a common problem that happens when the foundation settles or sinks. If you do not treat them, these cracks can increase and grow, allowing leakages to occur. If your floors are covered, it is advisable to do an inspection of your home to search for other foundation signs, to find if your foundation requires any repair. Search for cracks elsewhere, it can be found in areas like tiles, walls, ceiling, or even garage such as the ceiling, foundation walls, drywall, tiles, walls, or even garage pole and slab. Look out for doors and windows that stick or are uneven. Even damp or wet basements are also signs of foundation problems.
Causes of Floor Cracks
Floor cracks are of different types having different causes:
Cracks caused by shrinkage of soil
The soil around your foundation can shrink when the ground around it is waterless, or matured vegetation pulls moisture out of the soil. This leads to the lack of support for the foundation walls which causes the foundation to move that leads to cracks in your floor.
Cracks caused by expansion of soil
These cracks occur when a concrete slab is directly adjacent to another concrete slab or to another wall. In very hot weather the slab heats up, it expands and pushes against other parts of the foundation.
Cracks caused by the heaving of the ground
During freezing and defrosting the ground is known to heave or enlarge rapidly triggering the concrete above it to crack, shift, and move. This leads to cracks in the floor but also elsewhere throughout the construction.
Resolutions for Floor Cracks
It is advisable to have a foundation expert have a look at all the cracks that you find in your home. If it is a small crack there is nothing much to worry about, but it can be a sign of a much greater problem. These experts will be able to examine your home and foundation and suggest a solution for you.
If the cracks are small and you notice them initially, they can be covered by a process called crack injection. It depends on the type of crack and the position of the crack either epoxy resins or polyurethane grouting will be used. These materials will seal the crack, prevent water from leaking through, and in some cases make the crack site even stronger than it was before.
Suppose the floor cracks are much deeper and you also find other cracks or any other foundation problems during an inspection, underpinning solutions such as steel piers may be suggested. If there is soil that is not correctly compacted below your foundation, steel push piers can be used for added support. One of the advantages of these steel push piers are it is easy to install and it goes deep into the earth into the soil which is known to be stable and can be load tested on site. This is greatly suggested and used by foundation professionals today as they are a long-lasting repair solution. Suppose your cracks have led to a wet basement or damp crawlspace, water management can be suggested as they depend on water management products from ECP.
Why do concrete slabs crack
Cracks found in concrete slabs, concrete floors, pools, decks, sidewalks, and driveways can be removed by our polyurea injection. Cracks in concrete slabs and floors can happen for many reasons. The most common one is a shrinkage crack. Obviously, the most vital component of concrete is water. The water gets eliminated as the concrete cures. This leads to the reduction in the volume of the concrete and it shrinks in size. This shrink in size leads to stress in the concrete and this stress must relieve itself which leads to concrete cracks. This is a usual condition that takes place on residential basement floors.
One more reason can be the cracks from the substrate under the concrete heaving. When this occurs, the concrete is broken and it cracks. Generally, the concrete slab on one side of the crack is raised a little compared to the other side.
Lastly, it is possible for a settlement crack to occur. This is the reverse of a heaving crack. The soil under a concrete slab floor is not properly prepared prior to the concrete placement. Finally, the area under the slab relaxes and is no longer in connection and supports the concrete slab. The concrete slab then gives way and cracks.
Why do garage floors crack
Garage floors crack period. Concrete is not a ductile material that means it neither expands nor twists without breaking. With temperature it shrinks and stretches, resulting in cracks.
In most of the floors, the slabs are built-in with contraction joints that allow cracking to take place. These are typically those grooves or saw cut links that you see in the concrete which splits a typical two-car garage into four separate slabs. These grooves generate a damaged line in the concrete that encourages cracks to track the groove instead of wandering across the surface. You can still find cracks in other parts due to the settling of the earth below the slab. One good thing is that most of the cracks are cosmetic and not structural in nature.
Recommended floor repairing products
Use of a polyurethane, Epoxy, or polyurea-based floor repair or crack filling product that is sandable. These products cure and harden with a strength greater than concrete and prevent intrusion as well. You can grind or powder them flat with the concrete and they will take paint or an epoxy covering.
Therefore make sure not to neglect floor cracks no matter how minor and mild they might look. Are you looking for the best answers to Floor repairing in UAE, then contact White Metal Contracting LLC? We do services like industrial floor jointing that consist of fixing and troubleshooting cracks for a reasonable price. We also offer Epoxy Line Marking UAE on floors guarantees safe and long-lasting. Our customers will tell you the value of our service and we guarantee to provide long-lasting floor repairing and maintenance work in UAE. Intelligent customers always approach us for high-class floor repairing services.
