Tag Archives: concrete block

Stabilizing a Concrete Block Foundation Wall

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

I was in my basement applying some 2×4 furring to a concrete block wall in preparation for insulating and hanging drywall. I noticed a crack in a horizontal mortar joint about half way between the floor and the ceiling running nearly the length of the wall. I realized that this crack was an indication that the block wall was bowing inward. I don’t know how long this had been going on, or how much pressure it took to cause the problem. What I did know was that I had to take some steps to stop the wall from bowing more. Continue reading

Patching Cracks in Concrete Blocks

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

Someone I know patched the cracks in the concrete block walls of her house using a different technique than the one I described in Repairing Cracks in Concrete. When it rained hard, her basement took on a lot of water through cracks in the walls. The cracks ranged in size from 1/16″ wide to some so large she could see daylight through them. Since concrete blocks are hollow, injecting WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy into the cracks would be unacceptable. So she decided to fill the cracks using epoxy thickened to a mortar-like consistency. Continue reading