This crack and fracture here in this stem wall is caused by excessive moisture going into the stem wall in attacking the half-inch rebar that's in here. The oxidation process of the water and steel is expanding the rebar up to five times its diameter causing this crack and fracture. Someone has patched this prior, you can see the broom marks on here where they pasted their patch, came back and broomed it. They didn't put any epoxy water stop on the rebar prior to their patch, and it didn't stop the oxidation or process. So what we're doing here today is, making the correct repairs for the oxidation of this steel rebar, and we're removing this entire patch. This patch is hallow, and it's just going to fall right off. Once we get the chipping hammers on here. We're following this crack down this stem wall where this rebar is, and all this old patch is just going to be coming off. It's all hollow, and you can tell this is a patch because of the broom marks are coming across here. Well this rebar fell out, and we're removing everything that's chipping, cracking, and flaking from the rebar oxidizing. You can see how big in diameter this is, and it's only supposed to be half an inch, about the size of my pinky. So it's really expanded, causing that crack and fracture here. So what we're going to do is remove this and cut it back and we're going to dowel into this, and epoxy a new rebar in here. The distance that's we're cutting out and then embed it in the 6000 psi patch that we have, but prior to that, will be epoxying it making sure that no more moisture is going to attack the rebar causing it to oxidize and crack, and make these cracks and fractures in your home. This is a typical stem wall that has oxidized rebar that's expanding and cracking the exterior the stem wall across the landscaping and this is what to look for. You want to make sure that you catch this as soon as possible, because it goes both directions. Once moisture starts this fracture, then it attacks the rebar on going both directions. For more information go to: https://www.concreterepairman.com
Gilbert foundation repair, stem walls, foundation crack repair post tension, concrete repair company Chandler, Scottsdale, Mesa, and in Gilbert Arizona. https://www.concreterepairman.com/ 602-418-2970
Most of the homes built in Arizona have poorly treated foundations that allow water to penetrate the concrete used to create the foundation and stem wall that supports the home. When the home’s foundation was poured, metal rebar is put in place to give the concrete additional support and strength. Over time, water leaves efflorescent salt deposits, attacking the paint causing it to peel, chip and laminate from the foundation, leaving exposed spalled concrete which is highly vulnerable to moisture absorption. Moisture begins to attack and oxidize the metal rebar inside the stem wall, like a cancer. As this happens, the rebar expands and forces the concrete outwards causing horizontal cracks in the stem wall. This will cause the stem wall to fail and be pushed outwards, separating the interior tile, carpet, or wood flooring from the stem wall at the base. This type of problem will not simply just stop and go away, and left untreated, will continue to become a more serious, more expensive, and will become structural. Damage such as this will certainly affect your home’s resale value.
