Use an epoxy compound suitable for engine block repair. With the stitches in place, apply the epoxy into the crack as far as you can put it and then fill the crack completely. Cover over the surface and smooth the epoxy for a neater join. Leave it to dry thoroughly for however long the recommended time states on the instructions. A cracked cylinder head or engine block may or may not be bad news depending on the size and location of the crack(s), the value of the casting and what it will take to fix the crack(s) versus what it would cost you to replace the casting. Read what your options are in this Larry Carley feature. Cracks in Brick Walls &: Foundations - How to recognize, diagnose, & repair or prevent brick wall or foundation cracks due to thermal expansion Factors that determine the extent of thermal expansion damage to a brick wall or structure Absence of control joints or expansion joints in long brick walls leads to extensive cracking damage Photographs of foundation damage patterns and types of. Crack Seal Plus is an epoxy resin injection filler designed to repair and bond those hard to fill narrow cracks in bricks, blocks, render and concrete. Small flexible nozzles enables masonry cracks as fine 2mm wide to be filled and sealed without the use of injection ports. Fixing to Thermalite, Durox and other lightweight blocks really requires special fixings which can grab the block from inside the hole you drill. Plugs and fixings that expand as you screw the fixing into the plug tend to break away the inner surface of the hole and become loose in no time at all.
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Extensions
I've recently built a 2 storey extension and noticed vertical cracks appearing on the internal thermalite/celcon walls. The widest is probably only 1mm wide tapering off to nothing. There's also a number of hairline cracks at various places around the build, all of which are internal. Should I be worried? Do I need to do anything before I board it out? Thanks...Chris
22 Answers from MyBuilder Extension Builders
Best Answer
24896Thermalite blocks are prone to shrinkage. so long as the blocks dont appear on the outside walls this is probably the cause. British Gyprum only recommend boarding on thermalite as opposed to wet plaster because of this. Fill the cracks with a weak mortar and board over using dot and dab.
2013-06-01T16:05:02+01:00Answered 1st Jun 2013
24890thermalite blocks always crack. I personally wont use them, I use toplite. If you are dot and dab probably be ok
Thermalite Products Inc
2013-06-01T16:05:02+01:00Answered 1st Jun 2013
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Thermalite Lightweight Building Blocks
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Bricklaying
We recently had a conservatory built (during very wet and cold weather), last week I noticed a vertical hairline crack running from top to bottom on one wall (wall is 4.5M wide). when the render was tapped it sounded hollow or live. Working with a small screwdriver of part of the crack a 2.5M x 1.5M section of render simply fell off and the whole of this wall sounds live although the other two walls seem sound. It can now be seen that the uniform hairline crack goes the entire height of the wall and there appears to be another starting about a meter further down. I called the company back and they are sending the builder to have a look before they have it re-rendered. I understand that thermalite can shrink and crack as the blocks were saturated when laid. Question is what is the correct procedure now?
There are three hairline cracks running the entire height of the wall from damp-course to the leaded top of the wall, nothing below the damp-course which is concrete block. The cracks are even top to bottom and are less than a millimetre in width. The was just one crack visible before the render came off then two more are revealed but the render over these was not effected.
The wall was built and rendered in February when the weather was both wet and cold but not at frost conditions, the blocks were saturated and since the wall faces South the unusually hot sun this year has pitched on the wall for about ten hours each day.
The builder has said he will do whatever is necessary to remedy it but doesn’t seem too sure as to how to proceed. I have suggested that he angle grinds a half inch gap along the crack and then fill with a expanding joint mastic of some sort – not sure if this is the right way to go, then finally PVA the wall and re-render.
44 Answers from MyBuilder Bricklayers
Best Answer
72434is a thermal shock
due to warm and cold water you must use elastic and heat resistant material
Answered 12th Aug 2018
72444Yes blocks do crack in extreme weather.i would take off render.put mesh on then render.never crack again.even if blockwork cracked.
2018-08-12T19:30:02+01:00Answered 12th Aug 2018
72495Hack it all off and dot and dab. Thermalite and hardwall dont mix
2018-08-13T21:50:02+01:00Answered 13th Aug 2018
72770Hi.
If the render appeared ‘live’ before falling off, it is the bond between block and render that is at fault. Possibly caused by a combination of excessively wet block (although rendering wet blocks can be ok) and an overly weak mix. If it was cold during the build and the render was affected you frost, this could also account for problems.
I would take issue with ‘.....blocks do crack in extreme weather....’ speak to any block manufacturer for clarification of this.
Thermalite Blocks Lowe's
Occasionally a block WALL may crack in extremely dry conditions if it’s foundation bears on highly plastic soil, and this shrinks due to reduced moisture content (dry summers/demand from proximal vegetation). I have never known a single BLOCK to crack -50<T<50 degrees C.
I would advise against simply meshing and rendering if there is a prob with the blockwork. You do not state wether the crack is in the block as well as the render. If the blocks are cracked, there could be an issue with the footing. Crack wider at the top?
If you give me a bit more info. I’d be happy to advise how you should deal with the installer
2018-08-23T19:00:02+01:00Answered 23rd Aug 2018
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