How to fix cracks in your basement
To repair a crack in a basement wall, there are a few tools that need to be gathered. The materials are quite simple; all you need is some masonry cement, water, a six-inch drywall knife, wheelbarrow, hoe, paint brush, paint scraper, exterior putty, caulking gun, wire brush, primer and paint. Be sure to take a piece of wall paint to the paint store to match it to the correct color.
Take a paint scraper and remove any loose paint around the crack. Next, take the wire brush and clean the area around the crack removing any dirt. Take the exterior putty and spray it deep into the crack; make sure it’s smooth. Give the putty twenty-four hours to dry.
After the putty has dried and sealed the crack, masonry cement should be applied. To do this, first mix the water and cement into a peanut butter texture mix using the hoe, do it inside the wheelbarrow. Next, dampen the basement wall with a little cold water. This will ensure a strong bond of the cement to the wall. Now put a bunch of cement on the drywall knife and spread the cement over the crack; this can be made smooth, or textured by one person depending on the look of the wall. Allow this to cure forty eight hours.
Paint the repaired crack with primer and let it dry for eight hours. The last thing you want to do is paint the wall; mix the wet paint with the dry paint. Be sure to cover the repair at least three times with paint, allowing an eight hour drying period between coats. The cement will absorb a large amount of paint, causing the need to be liberal in the amount of paint used.
In some cases it may be necessary to sand down the edges of the old paint with sandpaper if the cement will not be able to cover the edges. Also make sure to clean all the tools and the wheelbarrow, if the tools are left dirty they will go bad. You can also buy paint that already has primer added to it. In theory it will save a steep and speed up the process, this could also save money.
The best advice that can be given is to take your time, do not rush the process. It may seem quicker not to let the cement cure or to apply a second coat of paint right after it dries. However, this will only cause the repair to stop for a short period of time. The process can be time-consuming, but knowing that a repair job has been completed and done well will be rewarding for a long time.