Free Initial Foundation Inspections for All Arizona Homeowners

Give us a call to schedule yours: 844-924-8900
BBB

Arizona's Premier Foundation Repair Contractor

Concrete Stem Wall Repair Warranties… is a few years good enough?

Failing Stem Wall ExamplesThere are many approaches to stem wall repairs in Arizona. Many handymen simply patch it up with a lifespan of a month or two before failure. Others, realizing the problem, take the old rusting rebar out and replace it with new rebar, with a lifespan of maybe a year or two. Others epoxy inject it… with similar short term results. One amusing method that I have seen a few times, is simply pouring a new additional concrete curb next to the existing concrete stem wall. This is impractical and expensive, but more importantly, the original problem remains, and will continue to fracture and the rebar continues to expand. It might take a year or two before that curb begins to be pushed out from the expanding rebar and concrete around it. For an explanation of what a stem wall is click here

Some Concrete Stem Wall Repair Contractors Offer an Extremely Limited Warranty on Their Work

There is a popular concrete stem wall repair service that that tries to make themselves out to understand the complexity of the problem. They claim to put rust inhibitors on the existing rebar…. or replace it….. and then patch the concrete back with a super-duper Army Core of Engineers cement approved patch material. And then offer a warranty that covers only a few years.

Why only a few years? Because there are several problems with this approach that limit its effectiveness over time. First, putting a rust inhibitor on rusting rebar will do no good unless the rebar is sand blasted to a white metal condition. That requires chipping out 1” behind the rebar. Why? Because the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) procedure for this requires that the entire bar be in white metal condition before putting on a rust inhibitor.

Reference: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.icri.org/resource/resmgr/2016_fall_convention/1_Fri_02-F2016.pdf

  • 8.4.1 The corrosion and deterioration of reinforcement and embedded components shall be considered in the durability design. • 8.4.1C Untreated reinforcement corrosion limits the life expectancy of repair areas, repair materials, and repaired structures. ICRI No. 310.1R provides guidelines on removal of damaged concrete and cleaning of reinforcing steel.

Here is another protocol from American Concrete Institute (parent organization to ICRI): https://www.concrete.org/portals/0/files/pdf/rap-6.pdf

Even with this procedure, the repairs are not expected to be permanent. How long will they last? No one will give a concrete answer…. It depends on how well the sand blasting is done, if the rust inhibitor coating is done without any pin holes, how aggressive the environment is and many other factors. The point is if the important prep work is neglected, the repair will be lucky to last a few years…. Hmm …..sound familiar?

It really makes no difference how wonderful the concrete patch material is, it will still fail. All cement based products have low tensile strength (pulling apart). When rusting rebar continues to rust with continuing electrochemical micro currents in the concrete it will split any cement based product apart over time. (See my previous blogs on this subject: https://www.foundationaz.com/blog/repairing-a-stem-wall-repair https://www.foundationaz.com/blog/repairing-a-stem-wall-repair)

I was vexed by the problem for many years. I struggled to sand blast completely, coat the entire exposed rebar completely and patch back using an anodic modified cement patch material…. the concrete stem wall repair still did not last long enough. I eventually experimented and developed the patented NeveRust® Stem Wall Repair System. It not only replaces the rebar with composite rebar, but also the hold down straps and temporary shoring jacks all with composites. Learn more about NeveRust® here:  https://www.foundationaz.com/blog/composite-stem-wall-repair-system

 

The NeveRust® Stem Wall Repair System is Warrantied to NEVER fail again due to Rust.

 

I am happy to  warranty any replacement that we have done against ever rusting again… for life - even if the home is sold!  That is a concrete repair you can feel good about.

Check out a recent concrete stem wall repair, before, during & after NeveRust® Stem Wall Repair System was installed:

Failing Concrete Stem Wall in Gilbert 3.2021Mid Concrete Stem Wall Repair in Gilbert 3.2021After Concrete Stem Wall Repair in Gilbert 3.2021

 

 

 

 

 

Question or comment?  Drop them below!