• Over time, almost all basements will have cracks and experience water seepage. If taken care of quickly, the fixes are easy and inexpensive. If repairs are ignored, it can quickly become a difficult and expensive repair that will need a professional. This is especially true if there is a finished basement with carpets and drywall because water will damage these items quickly. Carpet and drywall also experience mold when they get wet, and mold can cause many health problems if not attended to.
  
  

Polyurethane Foam

• Polyurethane foam is a good way to fill medium to large cracks in a basement wall. This product is inexpensive and easy to use. Spray the foam into the crack. Once inside the crack, the foam expands to fill every nook and cranny. This immediately will stop water from entering the basement, but the crack needs to be monitored for a while to ensure that the leak is totally stopped. If the crack is seen on both sides of the wall, put the foam into the crack on both sides of the wall.
  
  

Hydraulic Cement

• Hydraulic cement is one of the best materials available for fixing cracks in basement walls. The property that makes this such a good product for repairing cracks is that the cement expands in the crack much the same as polyurethane foam. This cement can be purchased in either pre-mixed or ready-to-mix types. To mix the cement, add the proper amount of water and mix with a drill that has a mixing paddle attached. It is best to use a large bucket or wheelbarrow for mixing. After the cement is mixed, wet the area around the crack and apply the cement to the crack. When applying the cement, take care to force as much cement into the crack as possible. As with epoxy, put cement into both sides of the crack if the crack can be seen from the outside as well as the inside.
  
  

Epoxy

• Epoxy is a very strong substance that is used to repair cracks in concrete walls. As with the other two products that have been mentioned, epoxy expands to fill the crack completely. Epoxies have a high level of bonding and tensile strength, which can return the wall to its initial structural strength. The only thing to watch for when considering epoxy crack fillers is to ensure that the proper density of epoxy is used for the size crack that is filled.