# HELP?  Repair of cinder block foundation



## Varuffolo (Mar 15, 2014)

When we removed the paneling we found cracks in the joints.  Very old home, we found animal hair insulation stuffed in the cracks-ewww

1 .  Should we fill the cracks with insulation before repairing?
2. How should we repair these cracks? (what type of filling etc?


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## brian89gp (Mar 15, 2014)

Do not fill the cracks with insulation.  Use Type N or Type S mortar, you can get pre-mixed bags at home improvement stores.  Type N is usually workable for about an hour after mixing with water and depending on temperature is still soft for around 24 hours (for cleanup).

Are you concerned about the cause of the cracking?  Or are you more about filling in the cracks?


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## bholler (Mar 15, 2014)

yeah you need to find out why those cracks are there they are huge I would not just fill them with out finding the cause.


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## GENECOP (Mar 15, 2014)

Like was previously mentioned you need to find out why, hopefully this was an old settling or undermining problem that has been resolved....Google Abocrete....this is a company that makes Concrete Restoration products among other things......often these custom mixes (epoxies) will hold up better .....like any repair Preperation is the key,,,,clean that joint out, water, air, get it clean...


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## GENECOP (Mar 15, 2014)

http://www.abatron.com/building-and-restoration-products/abocrete-kit.html?vmcchk=1

Here is the link, spend a few extra dollars fix it once...


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## Varuffolo (Mar 15, 2014)

We had to crush the old septic under the house & fill in-this could have been part of the cause since it had probably been leaking when we purchased it.  The house is extremely old so we believe it was mostly old settling and that it is in need of new roof/siding/windows etc.  I really appreciate all this feedback!


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## gzecc (Mar 15, 2014)

Varuffolo said:


> When we removed the paneling we found cracks in the joints.  Very old home, we found animal hair insulation stuffed in the cracks-ewww
> 
> 1 .  Should we fill the cracks with insulation before repairing?
> 2. How should we repair these cracks? (what type of filling etc?


 
House can't be that old if it has cinderblock foundation.


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## GENECOP (Mar 15, 2014)

gzecc said:


> House can't be that old if it has cinderblock foundation.



Probably Block Addition added later....original was probably poured....just guessing...


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## bholler (Mar 16, 2014)

poured would not be all that old either but block could be 80 years or so which is pretty old.   By he picture it looks like it has been patched in the past and has moved more which would be concerning to me if it were my house.  I would be thinking about jacking up and relaying that corner rather than patching if it were mine.


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## brian89gp (Mar 16, 2014)

bholler said:


> poured would not be all that old either but block could be 80 years or so which is pretty old.   By he picture it looks like it has been patched in the past and has moved more which would be concerning to me if it were my house.  I would be thinking about jacking up and relaying that corner rather than patching if it were mine.



In these parts block is older the poured.

The picture looks like the wall that goes left out of the frame is the one that is sinking.  I would find it hard to imagine the wall to the left staying put and just the corner sinking by that amount.

How old is the house?  Is this an addition?  If it is an addition, closed in porch?  Is there a footing under the block?

Can you take a picture with the rest of the wall in frame?


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## coaly (Mar 16, 2014)

Wherever you see one crack, there should be another around a corner or somewhere showing one section has dropped. Premix for patching (I like Quikrete vinyl Concrete Patcher sold at Home Depot)  A little more expensive, but it holds up and sticks well.
You can mix a little stone with it to fill large gaps. Or chisel block or brick to correct size pieces to fill gaps.
  I have a neighbor friend who is a mason by trade. I buy foreclosed homes and do all my own work with his advice; The trick is to use a rectangular trowel as a "shelf" held against the wall (bottom side up - edge tight against wall) and put the mortar on it with a pointed trowel. Then use the pointed trowel to push it into the crack. Horizontal cracks go fast, pushing it in along the length of the "shelf". Vertical goes slower working across the joint. This is the same method as repointing brick (replacing mortar in brick joints) that you can probably find videos of. It's easy once you learn this trick. This prevents the mortar from falling down the outside of wall and losing it. Something like stone should be put inside to prevent loosing too much down the wall. I tuck scrap Styrofoam in wall voids to prevent mortar loss into wall. Wet the crack with water to slow drying for better bond. There is also what looks and smells like Elmer's glue for masonry made as a bonding agent. Paint the contact surface of the crack first and let tack up for the best adhesion. Available at most masonry supply.
When done, just before it's completely dry, wet looking, but won't come out, brush the surface with a paint brush to smooth it out, giving a professional look. If you don't do this, it will look like an amateur did it.
Horse hair was a common insulation, and was mixed in mortar of the first plaster coat (scratch coat) so the fibers help bind it together. You can cut hemp rope in hair length pieces when repairing plaster in historic buildings to help bind it together for strength as well. Same a strengthening your mortar mix making it less likely to fall out. Consistency of mix is key to using a bit thick with a wet surface - not runny on a dry surface. Read up on "slump test" for proper moisture consistency.


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## greg13 (Mar 16, 2014)

I would bet that the footer under the foundation blocks is broken. If that is a sump hole in the corner you may have had water undermine the footer. I would dig it up from the outside and see what is really going on. 

Greg


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## bholler (Mar 16, 2014)

greg13 said:


> I would bet that the footer under the foundation blocks is broken. If that is a sump hole in the corner you may have had water undermine the footer. I would dig it up from the outside and see what is really going on.
> 
> Greg


I totally agree dig it up and take it from there I doubt patching will do any good really


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## Dune (Mar 16, 2014)

Probably very small or no footing. Should be fixed correctly or other problems will crop up down the road. 

Very good info from Coaly on actually doing the repair. I can't add anything to that.


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## billb3 (Mar 18, 2014)

blocks could be 100 years old or more.
My house is 5 rows of blocks on top of mortared rocks.
Built starting WW1

The house next door is three rows of blocks on what I thought was poured concrete until we started drilling a 8 inch hole for a oil burner chimney. There were forms used for the walls but the concrete walls are full of huge rocks.
Built 1930 or so. Town Hall records often reflect when taxes started being levied which could have been years after people moved in with a house set back obscured  from a one lane dirt road.



I would push mortar in.
Keep the rats out. Or in - whichever.


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## JoeyD (Mar 18, 2014)

gzecc said:


> House can't be that old if it has cinderblock foundation.



Our house was built in 1924 and has cinder block walls along with a brick floor. So that is 90 years. Maybe not extremely old but it makes houses built in the 50's look new to me.


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## gzecc (Mar 18, 2014)

JoeyD said:


> Our house was built in 1924 and has cinder block walls along with a brick floor. So that is 90 years. Maybe not extremely old but it makes houses built in the 50's look new to me.


 
I'm a contractor and think "very old" is anything built with rubble foundations and non demensional lumber. If you go to europe, 20th century building are considered new.


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## GENECOP (Mar 18, 2014)

To clarify at least in the Long Island NY Area....my first house was built in 1907, a small single story Bungalow, foundation was poured with some rubble mixed in....main support in basement Locust Posts with non dimensional lumber throughout.....true 2x......4"-6" material.....whatever they had they used....Baloon Framed is another feature..


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## Varuffolo (Mar 23, 2014)

Thank you for all of your feedback, it is really helping!

There is one room that could have been an addition however this room is definitely all part of the original square building.  I will keep looking for a picture to show this area but I have a picture of the far left corner of the same wall.  I do see another crack and there are some to the left of this as well.


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## brian89gp (Mar 24, 2014)

There are almost always cracks on older foundations.  That is an odd choice for the builders to put a window.


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## bholler (Mar 24, 2014)

yeah there are cracks lots of times but those are huge cracks not the norm


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## Ashful (Mar 24, 2014)

Varuffolo said:


> The house is extremely old so we believe it was mostly old settling...





billb3 said:


> blocks could be 100 years old or more.


True, but that ain't extremely old for a house.


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## bholler (Mar 24, 2014)

And most 100 yr old foundations are not block can the op tell us how old the house is?  Mine is 100+ stone foundation and no cracks btw.


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## Retired Guy (Mar 24, 2014)

greg13 said:


> I would bet that the footer under the foundation blocks is broken. If that is a sump hole in the corner you may have had water undermine the footer. I would dig it up from the outside and see what is really going on.
> 
> Greg


Yup, I've seen it before.


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