Causes of Corrosion
Having plants right next to the house's concrete stem wall might not be very beneficial since plants retain more water in the area, which might lead to corrosion of the concrete stem wall in the future.
Symptoms When the Stem Wall is Failing: Flaking Paint
Flaking paint is the most common symptom of stem wall failure, but most people blame other factors for flaking paint. Those factors include sunlight, time, and paint quality when in reality, the one to blame is corrosion.
Symptoms When the Stem Wall is Failing: Horizontal Cracks
Horizontal cracks in a stem wall mean the corrosion problem started in the rebar and then spread to the rest of the concrete stem wall.
Symptoms When the Stem Wall is Failing: Vertical Cracks
On the other hand, Vertical cracks in the stem wall mean the oxidation issues began in the tie-down straps and then spread to the rest of the stem wall elements.
Symptoms When the Stem Wall is Failing: Spalling Concrete
Spalling concrete is the worst of all the symptoms because when the stem wall gets to this point, it means most of the stem wall elements will need to get replaced, and the stem wall is just falling apart.
Stem Wall Repair Process: Protecting is Caring
Whenever our foundation experts go into a project, they must protect their surroundings. As shown in this picture, our crew used plastic sheets to protect the area from any unfortunate event that might damage the residency.
Stem Wall Repair Process: Rebar Replacement
At this point, the rebar got replaced, and a special blue material got added to the stem wall to prevent the stem wall from producing corrosion ever again.
Stem Wall Repair Process: Preventing is caring
Right after replacing all the damaged components of the stem wall, our foundation heroes need to add a blue material that protects the stem wall elements and prevents the stem wall from producing corrosion in the future.