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Posted by Garry on September 25th, 2003 02:57 PM
In reply to Cracks in Basement Floor by Kenda Van on September 23rd, 2003 10:04 AM [Go to top of thread]

All too frequently, basement slabs are poured without using welded wire mesh. I would guess this is the case with yours. Assuming you do not have a foundation problem, the cracks may be due to shrinkage of the concrete during curing. The silicon filler isn't a terrible solution, but will wear out eventually and require maintenance.

You could apply a low viscosity, high strength epoxy to repair the cracks, such as Sikadur 35 by Sika Corporation (www.sikausa.com). This product has a low enough viscosity that it can flow into the open cracks. It is also self-leveling. The product can be applied to the cracks with minimal preparation (routing of the cracks is not required). This technique essentially bonds the crack back together, so there is a moderate risk of future cracking of the slab if it continues to shrink with time. Future cracks could be repaired in the same manner. You might be able to do it yourself. Use an old squeeze ketchup bottle to get the epoxy into the crack.

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