Retaining wall is typically constructed to prevent soil erosion or increase drainage in your garden, so when they malfunction, your entire landscape may be at risk when cracks are developed.
It can be quite frustrating to deal with retaining wall cracks and concrete wall cracks since they endanger your landscape and can be challenging to fix.
The simplest way to lower this risk is to contact a retaining wall contractor and set up an appointment to have your wall inspected if you’ve started to notice retaining wall cracks that are hurting your landscape.
Continue reading to learn to spot and fix retaining wall cracks.
How do Retaining Wall Cracks Happen?
The top five causes of a fractured stone wall are listed below:
- Poor or insufficient drainage.
- Pressure is increasing behind your retaining wall as a result of the wet soil.
- Retaining walls that are poorly planned.
- The earth beneath your retaining wall may shift due to “slope creep.”
- In severe weather, your retaining wall will eventually experience damage from the environment, including cracks.
Steps to Fixing Cracks In retaining Walls:
Use an Epoxy Injection System to Repair Basement Wall Cracks:
When it rained a lot, a foundation wall had an 8-foot-long crack that allowed water to pour into the basement.
We employed a Liquid Concrete Repair Kit ($60) from Polygem, an epoxy-injection device to repair the crack permanently.
Each kit includes two 10-oz.
Liquid Concrete Repair (LCR) tubes, a viscous epoxy that comes in a cartridge similar to caulk, a two-part epoxy crack sealant, and seven plastic injection ports that enable the LCR to be injected deeply into the fracture.
Each kit contains enough material to patch a 1/16-inch wide by 8-inch deep by 8-foot-long crack.
1. Scrub it Clean:
Use a wire brush to first scrub any loose concrete, paint, or old filler out of the fissure.
Use a shop vacuum to get rid of all the dust and debris.
2. Align the Injection Points with a Nail:
Placed 12 inches apart, hammer 3 inches (10-d) finishing nails into the crack halfway.
They’ll be used to position the injection ports so they face the crack.
3. Combine the Two-Part Epoxy Crack Sealer:
Scoop out equal amounts of Parts A and B from each of the two containers of epoxy crack sealer using two separate sticks to prevent contamination.
Using a clean putty knife, combine the two components on a scrap piece of wood; blend until the mixture is a consistent grey hue.
4. Apply the Sealer to the Base:
One of the plastic injection port’s bases should have some sealer applied to it, but be careful not to fill in the hole.
The port should be slid over a nail that is poking through the cracks of the retaining wall and pressed against the wall.
Similarly, install the remaining ports.
5. Prepare a larger batch of epoxy sealer and apply it:
Then, using a 1 1/2-inch-wide putty knife or margin trowel, cover the entire crack with a slightly bigger amount of epoxy sealant you’ve mixed up.
Spread the sealant out 1 inch on either side of the crack and about 1/8 inch thick.
Additionally, apply a crack sealer to the entire flange of each injection port revealing the expanded neck part.
Spread the sealant evenly by feathering the edges with a paintbrush dipped in mineral spirits.
Check to verify if the crack extends completely through the wall and if the opposite side is reachable.
If it works, fill the retaining wall cracks with crack sealant as well.
Due to injecting the epoxy, give the sealer 6 to 10 hours to cure.
6. Apply the LCR Epoxy:
Utilize the kit-provided plunger rod to thoroughly mix the LCR epoxy.
The LCR cartridge should be put into a caulk gun.
Pour the epoxy into the crack starting at the lowest injection port.
7. Fill the openings:
When epoxy starts to flow out of the port right above, keep pulling the trigger.
Once the port has been full, remove the pistol and close it.
Squeeze the trigger to release the epoxy after inserting the cartridge tip into the leaky port.
For the remaining ports, repeat this process, plugging each one before going on to the next step.
8. Cut the Terminal Necks:
After allowing the LCR to cure for five days, use a hacksaw to remove the port’s necks.
If desired, use a small amount of crack sealant to patch the damaged ports.
Tips for Repair Retaining Wall Cracks:
Here are five suggestions for patching up cracked walls as follows:
- Watch for cracks in your retaining wall and make sure your wall isn’t beginning to tilt more by checking it every day.
- Verify your drainage system.
- Poor drainage is the primary reason for a broken concrete retaining wall; therefore, you should enhance drainage around your wall to lessen the chance that it may tilt.
- To make the retaining wall stronger and stop future-leaning, reinforce it.
- Weep holes should be added to aid drainage.
- Hire a professional to build a retaining wall, if you are unable to prevent your retaining wall from collapsing further, speak with a retaining wall contractor who can assist you in improving drainage and repairing your retaining wall.
FAQ- Retaining Wall Cracks:
Q1. Is it typical for retaining walls to crack?
A retaining wall may occasionally exhibit some tilting or cracking.
Generally speaking, it shouldn’t be a big deal, so leave it alone.
Q2. What causes retaining wall vertical cracks?
Inadequate or improper drainage.
Weep holes that are not enough to blame frequently.
Wet soil is causing pressure to build up behind your retaining wall.
Inadequately planned retaining walls.
Q3. When do I need to be concerned about wall cracks?
Severe cracks up to 25 mm wide should be examined and fixed by a professional since they may indicate structural damage.
Extremely serious structural damage is indicated by any crack wider than 25 mm, which calls for extensive repair work that may entail underpinning and rebuilding.
Conclusion:
The most useful and aesthetically beautiful landscaping component is a retaining wall.
Due to its usefulness, it must be built and deployed properly.
Unfortunately, retaining wall damage and cracks can happen to a lot of homeowners regularly.
When it occurs, subpar workmanship is typically to blame (but not always).
In this post, we’ll look at the main causes of retaining walls that are beginning to fail.
Understanding the cause will enable you to properly fix the issue and stop it from happening again.
Section Under: Retaining Walls
