I went to a structural engineering conference recently and lally columns were of particular concern. They talked a lot about rust on lally columns, steel lally columns that are filled with concrete in particular. If there is rust on the lally column, even at the bottom, it can reduce the strength of it up to 40%. That’s significant. They recommended lally column replacement if there is rust on it. What’s involved? You have to break...

This week we have four horror stories that have to do with basement waterproofing. The first is misdiagnosing the problem. With years of experience we can usually diagnose what the problem is. I’ve gone into homes where owners have put in sump pumps near a finished basement wall because water is coming in under it. I go outside and there is a foundation wall crack. It’s not ground water which needs a sump pump, they...

We are in the middle of a miniseries discussing concrete floor cracks. Our last episode discussed how to fix cracks in floating floors. But what if a homeowner discovers a crack in a concrete floor and the concrete has started to sink? When they don’t have the money to replace the entire floor, here are the other options. The first is to break that area of the floor, dig down, compact the floor; perhaps it...

Installing lally columns may seem straightforward, but doing it incorrectly can put your home at serious risk. Many homeowners try to save money with DIY fixes, only to find out later that the column was unstable, the footing was missing, or the material used wasn’t up to code. Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing the right way to install them. What Are Lally Columns and Why Do Homes Need Them?...

Frank in Providence, RI: “How long can I estimate for a new concrete slab to dry?” Crackman: That is a very interesting question. There are a lot of factors that contribute to how long it takes concrete to dry. There are a lot of different materials in concrete and it depends on the materials used, the amount of water and temperature around that slab, and is wind there. You want that concrete to dry as...

We are heading into Thunderstorm season and have been getting a lot of rain in Massachusetts. A1 Foundation Crack Repair has been getting a lot of calls from people who have water infiltration and want the work done. Here are some quick ideas you can do before or during that storm. 1. Make sure your downspouts are attached to the house. Then, with the downspouts, make sure the extenders are in-place running water away from...

Things you can do to protect your basement from moisture: Add a dehumidifier If there is water coming up from below, put a sump pump in. I found a water detector. It will actually call or text your cell phone if it detects water. This is a new product that I found that has quite a bit of merit. Not only will it detect water, but it will also tell you if the temperature of...

As spring showers increase the amount of ground water around the house homeowner are more likely to spot leaks in the basement. As many of them do, they decide to fix them themselves with products from Lowes and Home Depot. When they get there, they grab the guy in the aisle and ask his advice. He will suggest caulk or cement or Flex Seal and they give it the Ol’ College Try. After failing multiple...

We have  had problems in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire with the snow that we have had. The snow on the ground is going to melt, but so is the snow on our roofs. We want to keep that out of the basement. First, go into the basement and see if there are any water stains because places that leaked before will leak again. We can get that fixed for you. But what...

We run into some very interesting “solutions “ for lally columns.  Lally columns are the support systems that are underneath the floors that hold the floor up and keep them even and balanced. We see all kinds of poorly designed lally columns all over Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire that home inspectors don’t like. There are five that are common. We often see axels from cars used as lally columns. Yesterday I saw a...