Hi all,

When we bought our house two years ago, the home inspector pointed out a crack (seen in the pic, sorry it's grainy) between the wall of the house (well, the cinderblock wall that separates the house from the garage) and the cinderblock chimney. He suggested that we patch it with some cement patch—not because it would fix the problem but just because it would provide a gauge of whether the separation is getting bigger over time.

We recently had earthquakes in Utah and while I don't think the crack widened, it might have. I'm wondering: is there a way (apart from calling in a structural engineer) to patch this so that it adds at least SOME structural support, i.e. slows (or if we're lucky, stops) the separation?

Thanks!

Pic: https://imgur.com/a/VIxoWRB

 

Whoops, added link to pic above.

 

If it is moving it will likely keep moving. There might be products that basement pros use that are better than what's available at the big box stores, but if you want to DIY, a product like this is better than just tuckpointing it with concrete.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sikadur-...7655/204732364

Note it says it is for non moving joints. It's not guaranteeing that it will stop future movement. But it is supposed to be stronger than concrete. You would want to apply it and tool it just like a mortar joint. The more you can get in the crack the better. You might need 3 or 4 tubes if you want to inject it good.

 

No kind of 'glue' (epoxy/cement/etc) will keep walls together when pulled apart by the forces of nature/settling. The only way to keep something like that together is with something mechanical. Bolts, bars, tie bars, etc.

I would fill it with some type of flexible sealant so it has some flexibility if it does move a little.

They make precise crack monitors like this one. You could do something similar (and cheaper) with two 6" rulers aligned and glued to each side. Align them both to the 2" mark or whatever, and you can see it move or not.

 

Thanks for the feedback. XSleeper, I checked out that product but even the manufacturer (in response to negative comments) states that it has a lower "viscosity than water" and won't really work on vertical cracks (will just drain away from the crack). But thanks!

Zorfdt, thanks as well—good call on getting a couple of rulers!