Injection sealing for leaking cracks in poured walls, plus a closer look at cracks in the block foundations common in Parsippany's postwar homes.
Which crack repair makes sense depends on what your foundation is made of, and Parsippany has a mix. Many of the township's 1950s and 1960s split-levels and ranches sit on concrete block, while newer homes and additions are more likely to have poured concrete walls. Injection works on poured walls. The contractor seals the face of the crack, sets ports along it, and pushes polyurethane or epoxy into the crack under pressure so it fills the full depth of the wall. It is usually a few hours of work from inside the basement.
Block walls are a different story. The blocks are hollow, so water entering a crack can travel through the cores and come out somewhere else entirely, which is why injection is not usually the answer there. Leaking block walls in Parsippany homes are more often handled with an interior drain, an exterior membrane, or both. Stair-step cracks along the mortar joints, horizontal cracks partway up the wall, or a wall that bows inward call for a structural engineer before anyone talks about sealing. Bracing or wall anchors may be needed before any waterproofing makes sense.
On Parsippany's hillside lots, uphill walls carry extra soil and water pressure, and the yearly freeze and thaw can work small cracks open over time. If you see a crack and are not sure whether it is changing, mark both ends with a pencil, write the date, and check it every few weeks through a winter. Photos of the crack after a heavy rain, showing whether it actually leaks, help the contractor tell a cosmetic crack from a real problem. That kind of record is often more useful than a single snapshot on inspection day.
Usually not. Injection is designed for solid poured concrete. In a hollow block wall, water can move through the cores, so leaks are generally handled with drainage or exterior waterproofing instead.
It is worth a professional look. Horizontal cracks and bowing in block walls can mean soil pressure is pushing the wall in, which is more common on sloped lots. A structural engineer can tell you whether reinforcement is needed.
Injection on a poured wall is often done in a single visit of a few hours. Scheduling depends on the contractor, so ask when they can come out and whether the crack should be dry or can be injected while wet.
Lake Hiawatha sits on the Rockaway River behind a retaining wall built in 1986; in January 2024 residents petitioned to extend it further down River Drive.
patch.comHurricane Irene overtopped the Lake Hiawatha floodwall in 2011, and by 2017 the Morris County Flood Mitigation Program had bought out 20 flood-prone Parsippany homes.
morriscountynj.govAfter Hurricane Ida in 2021, flooding closed New Road and Edwards Road and blocked access to the rear of the Rutgers Village complex.
patch.comA perimeter drain under the slab that collects groundwater and sends it to a sump pump, a common fix for Parsippany lower levels that seep at the floor joint.
Digging along the foundation to seal the outside of the wall and add a footing drain, often used on the uphill side of sloped Parsippany lots.
Sealing damp crawl spaces under Parsippany additions, older cottages, and partial-basement homes with a heavy liner and humidity control.
Pumping out water, drying the space, and removing damaged materials after a storm, pump failure, or Rockaway River flooding in Parsippany.