Inside and Outside Leak Repairs
/When homeowners in the Niagara Region experience leaking foundations, they often want to know whether it is better to make the repairs from the inside or from the outside. The truth is that just about every poured concrete foundation may be repaired from the inside or the outside with great results.
There is no right or wrong answer. The decision on whether to repair your foundation from the inside or the outside depends on several factors.
Here are a few things to take into consideration before making your decision:
If repairs are made from the inside, it will be necessary to open up drywall to get access to the leak and foundation crack
Repairs made from the inside are less expensive than repairs from the outside which require excavation.
Interior injection repairs can eliminate any voids in the foundation walls by filling the crack with a commercial grade product while exterior repairs seal the void from the outside.
Both interior and exterior repairs come with the same warranty.
The process for interior repairs is not slowed down or delayed because of weather.
With interior repairs, you can determine the source of the leak. This is not always possible with exterior repairs.
What is involved with interior repairs?
When foundation repairs are made from the inside, the area of the foundation with the leak must be exposed from top to bottom. This will require removing the drywall.
Using an injection process, any cracks in the foundation are then filled from the inside to the outside. This type of repair can usually be done by a single technician with a few hours. This is also the most cost-effective option as it does not require heavy machinery to excavate the area around your home like exterior waterproofing would.
What is involved with exterior repairs?
The area around the foundation must be excavated, and some hardscaping features such as fences and decks may also have to be removed.
When performing exterior waterproofing, it is extremely important that you hire only the most of professional and licensed crews as there are several risk factors, including the potential damaging of weeping tiles, as well as hydro and gas lines.
While exterior waterproofing may take longer and could be more costly, there are some cases where exterior waterproofing is the best choice – such as when accessing the foundation from the inside is undesirable or when there is significant damage to the outside of the foundation wall.
What option is right for my home?
For most homeowners in the Niagara area, having foundation repairs made from the inside is the easiest and more cost-effective option – and from a warranty standpoint, there is no difference. Nevertheless, there will always be cases where it makes more sense to make the repairs from the outside.
If you have a leaky foundation, the most important thing is to get it repaired right away. Contact Foundation Fix today. One of our technicians will be happy to inspect the problem and advise you on whether a repair from the inside or the outside makes the most sense for your home.
