Exterior Foundation Crack Repair
Yes. When a crack can't be reached from inside, or the wall needs a membrane, we repair it from the outside.
- ✓ 24/7 emergency line
- ✓ Serving Edmonton and area
Signs you need this
- The crack is behind a finished wall you don't want opened
- Several cracks on one wall, or a wall that leaks in many places
- Water coming in where interior repairs haven't held
- Damaged dampproofing or no membrane on the outside of the wall
When outside beats inside
Most single leaking cracks are best fixed from inside with crack injection. It’s faster and there’s no digging. Exterior repair is worth it when:
- the wall needs a waterproof membrane, not just one crack sealed,
- there are several cracks or leak points on the same wall,
- an interior repair hasn’t held, or
- the inside of the wall is finished and you’d rather dig than open it up.
Our guide on interior vs exterior repair compares the two in detail.
Hand-dig or excavation?
Hand-digging opens a narrow trench down to a single crack. It keeps disturbance to a small area beside the wall.
Excavation with equipment opens a longer stretch of wall. It’s used when a whole side of the foundation needs a membrane or several areas need work.
What the repair involves
- Dig down to expose the outside of the wall.
- Clean the wall and seal the crack.
- Apply a waterproof membrane over the repair, and wider if needed.
- Backfill and grade so surface water runs away from the house.
Why water pushes in from outside
Snowmelt and heavy rain raise water pressure against basement walls and push water through cracks. Fixing the wall from outside, and grading the soil away from it, deals with the water where it starts.
Price
We quote exterior repairs after a free on-site assessment, because the price depends on depth, length and access. For context, basement foundation crack repairs in Canada typically run $500 to $2,500, and broader foundation repair $5,000 to $15,000. See foundation crack repair costs.
Our process
Assess
We check whether an exterior repair is actually the better choice for your wall.
Dig
Soil is removed down to the crack, by hand for a small area or by excavation for a larger one.
Repair and membrane
The crack is sealed and a waterproof membrane is applied to the outside of the wall.
Backfill and grade
Soil goes back with grading that sends surface water away from the house.
Questions people ask
Is exterior repair better than interior injection?
Not always. Injection handles most single leaking cracks with no digging. Exterior work makes sense when the wall needs a membrane, when there are several problem areas, or when the inside can't be reached.
How much does exterior foundation repair cost?
It depends on the depth, the length of wall and what's in the way, so we quote exterior work after a free on-site assessment.
Will you wreck my yard?
Digging disturbs the area right next to the wall. Hand-digging keeps it small for a single crack. Decks, steps and landscaping may need to be moved for larger jobs, and we'll tell you up front.
When can exterior work be done?
Any time of year. Our crews do exterior repairs in every season.
Talk to us today
Call, or send a few details and photos and we will get back to you.