Leaking Basement Wall Crack Repair in New Jersey

If you live in New Jersey and spot a crack growing or spreading across your basement wall, chances are it's about to leak water or already is. If you're like most homeowners, fixing a leaking basement wall crack might sound like a simple do-it-yourself project involving patching or cement.

However, unless you identify the source of the crack, you could waste thousands of dollars on temporary and ineffective "quick-fix" solutions.

At Blue Umbrella Waterproofing, we offer lasting, warranty-backed crack repair solutions that keep your New Jersey basement dry, structurally sound, and usable. To help homeowners make the most informed decisions, here's a straightforward explanation of leaking basement wall cracks, their causes, and how we fix and prevent them.

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Basement wall crack leak repair in New Jersey

Why Are Cracks Forming In My Basement Wall?

The most common causes of basement wall cracks include:

Differential settlement

Typically, foundation settlement is normal and occurs within the first years of construction. However, if one side of your home settles into the soil at a different rate than the rest of the structure, the misalignment can flex and crack wooden joists, concrete walls and slabs, drywall, and other structural components.

Expansive soil

Basement walls in New Jersey often crack and bow due to expanding, clay-rich soil. This problematic soil type can change size with as little as 5% clay content. In severe cases, expansive soil can exert up to 30,000 pounds of pressure against your basement walls.

Frost heave

Frost heave occurs when moisture in the soil surrounding your basement walls freezes and pushes against your concrete.

Hydrostatic pressure

Hydrostatic pressure occurs when water accumulates and exerts force against your basement walls. This pressure can vary depending on the moisture levels, fluctuating between drier and wetter seasons.

Poor construction

It's common for basement wall cracks to form due to poor construction choices, such as using low-quality concrete with a weaker PSI rating, the wrong footing size, inadequate rebar reinforcement, or loose fill soil.

Natural aging

It's normal for thin, hairline cracks to appear on basement walls within the first few years of construction. However, hairline cracks can be large enough to leak water into your basement.

Why Are My Basement Wall Cracks Leaking?

Foundation cracks typically leak because there's water and pressure on the other side of the wall trying to find the path of least resistance. Even the tiniest flaw on the exterior of a porous concrete wall can allow water to channel through to your New Jersey basement. Other factors that contribute to leaking cracks include:

Downspouts deposit water too close to your home.
Clogged gutters allow water to spill over the sides.
Improper yard grading directs water toward your home, rather than away as required by the International Building Code.

French Drain Installed in New Jersey Home

How to Fix A Leaking Foundation Wall Crack

Here's how Blue Umbrella Waterproofing seals basement wall cracks and directs water away from your New Jersey home.

Seal The Leaking Foundation Crack

First, we'll clean the area around the crack to remove debris and moisture-soaked concrete, creating an easy-to-work-with surface. Then, we'll fill or inject the crack with hydraulic cement, structural epoxy, or cementitious grout.

Once the mixture cures, we cover the area with a commercial-grade epoxy and rubber coating that permanently bonds with the injected mixture, fixing all your leaking crack problems in your New Jersey home.

Install An Interior French Drain System

Our interior French drain system, also known as a drain tile system, consists of buried, perforated drainage pipes that catch and divert excess groundwater away from your basement walls and slab, especially the cove joints (the space where the floor meets the wall).

This french drain system is placed under the concrete at the base of your walls, and transports collected groundwater to a sump pit, where a sump pump activates and ejects the water 10 to 15 feet away from your home.

Encapsulate Your Basement With Vapor Barrier

Water vapor typically uses the pores and capillaries inside concrete to move from areas of high moisture concentration to areas of low concentration, a process known as moisture vapor transmission.

To counter this, we line your basement walls with impermeable polyethylene sheeting that intercepts and directs moisture toward the French drain system below. We recommend basement encapsulation in New Jersey homes dealing with basement water. This barrier is:

14 millimeters thick
Easily hidden by drywall, paint, and other finishes
Washable
Includes a lifetime warranty
Includes an antimicrobial coating

Waterproof basemen liner installation in New Jersey

How To Prevent Future Basement Wall Cracks

Basement wall cracks can reappear and form in new places if you ignore any underlying and contributing factors.

Regularly clean and inspect your gutters and downspouts.
Ensure you have at least one downspout for every 20 to 30 feet of gutter.
Downspouts should deposit water at least 10 to 15 feet from your home.
Buried downspouts are the most effective and should deposit water at least 20 feet from your home toward the street if possible.
Ensure your property is graded away from the home (one inch for every foot away from your home).

InvisiBeam Carbon-Kevlar Straps

Our Invisibean Carbon-Kevlar Straps that we install in New Jersey homes are the perfect solution for foundation cracks resulting from bowing, shearing, or tipping basement walls. Each strap is made of high-tensile material that can easily absorb pressure from groundwater, frost heaving, expansive soil, or any other lateral force pushing against your basement walls.

The installation process is convenient, takes as little as two days to complete, and the straps and filled cracks can be easily hidden by paint, drywall, or other finishes.

DIY Leaking Crack Repair Methods That Don't Work

DIY solutions for leaking cracks in New Jersey can be tempting, but these 'solutions' are often short-lived. Some common DIY options people turn to and inevitably turn away from include:

DryLok Latex Paints

DryLok offers only temporary relief, cannot conceal large cracks, breaks down when exposed to moisture, and lacks structural support for the wall. Additionally, the paint is unlikely to penetrate the concrete deeply enough to provide a durable seal, which could lead to mold growth and water pockets between the wall and the paint.

DryLok Latex Paints

Quikrete Cement

Quikrete Cement lacks the bonding strength to address the structural issues causing cracks and will eventually crumble when exposed to moisture.

Spray Foam Sealers

Spray foam sealers are primarily intended for air sealing and insulation and cannot support the structure of your basement wall. Controlling the foam's rapid expansion can also be challenging, and it lacks the strength to create a tight seal.

Basement water leaking through a crack in New Jersey

Leaking Wall Crack Repair FAQs

Can you fix a leaking basement wall from the inside?
Yes, most leaking basement walls can be repaired from the inside using hand-held injection guns, transportable vapor barriers, and other non-invasive equipment.

When should I worry about leaking basement wall cracks?
It's recommended to repair basement wall cracks that are wider than 1/8th of an inch wide and/or running in a horizontal or stair-step pattern.

How common are cracks in basement walls?
Non-structural and relatively safe cracks typically occur within the first few years of a newly constructed building in New Jersey.

How can you tell where water is coming into the basement?
Water can enter your basement using cracks, cove joints, broken mortar joints, and flooded window wells.

Blue Umbrella Fixes Your Leaking Foundation Cracks

If your basement is affected by a leaking wall crack, contact Blue Umbrella Waterproofing. We've successfully addressed thousands of leaking cracks in basements across Central and Northern New Jersey caused by diverse foundation and waterproofing issues.

Even if you're unsure of your basement's needs, you can request a free foundation inspection by one of our qualified and experienced repair experts. Don't wait until a leaking crack becomes worse. Call, email, or sign up today to learn more. We are the trusted company for leaking basement wall crack repair in New Jersey.