Concrete blocks are a durable and reliable material for building walls, but they can be damaged due to weather, flooding, or accidents. Fortunately, there are several ways to repair a wall of concrete blocks without having to tear it down and add new concrete. To repair small cracks or holes in the walls of concrete blocks, you need to clean the area and use concrete. Lower the wall with a hose or rub it with a cloth, then use a metal file to smooth out rough edges.
For larger cracks or holes, you will need concrete epoxy cement to make a waterproof seal. Epoxy concrete cement expands and dries to form a seal that can withstand a water spout of several hundred pounds of pressure. To prevent a section of the wall from collapsing, replace only a few bricks at a time. Gently use the brick set and small hammer to mark each side of the block.
Repeat the cuts, striking harder along the lines, until the brick falls apart. Make as many brick faces as you need to fix the wall blocks. Various masonry repair products, such as hydraulic cement, do a proper job of filling cracks in concrete walls. To ensure that the epoxy is thick and uniform enough, but also flush with the surrounding concrete for aesthetic reasons, apply one inch of mortar to the perimeter of the new face of the block, as well as to the center and edges of the back surface.
The goal of my stabilization project is to create a tension member that provides the missing tensile strength in concrete. To do this, you need to install steel I-beams inside the wall and attach them to the basement floor and floor joists. Properly designed, I-beams bear the bending load on the wall. If you use the right protective equipment and follow all relevant instructions on the package for the epoxy you buy, you can safely proceed with the repair. Apply a wet layer of epoxy to the wall of the block in the area where the screed will be installed and on the back of the 2 × 4 screed strip. With these steps, you can easily repair your wall of concrete blocks without having to tear it down and add new concrete.
