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Settling, bowing walls and structural cracks, assessed properly and repaired at the cause. Free on-site inspection with a written quote and no obligation.
10+ years experience
Edmonton foundations sit on expansive clay. It swells when it gets wet, shrinks when it dries, and lifts and drops whatever is resting on it. Over decades that movement finds the weakest section of your foundation wall and opens it.
Most homeowners notice the symptoms before the cause: a door that suddenly will not latch, a hairline crack above a basement window that keeps getting longer, a corner of the floor that feels off. By the time water is coming through, the wall has usually been moving for years.
We assess what actually moved, why it moved, and what it will take to stop it. If the answer is a smaller repair than you feared, we will tell you that.
Foundation repair has the widest range of anything we do, because a reinforced crack and a rebuilt wall section are not the same job. Here is the honest spread.
Typical Edmonton ranges, not your quote. Depth of foundation, access for equipment, how far the wall has moved, and whether drainage has to be corrected at the same time all change the number. You get an exact written figure after the inspection, at no cost and with no obligation.
Width and direction are the first clues. Vertical hairline cracks under 3 mm are usually shrinkage and mostly a water problem, not a structural one. Horizontal cracks, stair-step cracks through block, cracks wider than about 6 mm, or any crack where one side has shifted out of plane with the other are structural signals and need to be looked at properly. So are doors and windows that have started sticking, and floors that have gone out of level. If you are not sure, take a photo and text it to us.
The clay. Edmonton sits on expansive clay soil that swells when it takes on water and shrinks when it dries out, and that cycle moves whatever is sitting on it. Add repeated freeze-thaw, downspouts dumping beside the wall, and grading that has flattened out over 40 years, and you get differential settlement where one part of the foundation drops relative to another. That is what cracks a wall.
Usually yes, if it is caught early. Bowing means lateral soil pressure has exceeded what the wall can resist. Depending on how far it has moved, the fix is reinforcement such as carbon fibre straps or steel bracing, combined with relieving the pressure that caused it by excavating and correcting the drainage outside. Walls left too long eventually need rebuilding, which is why an early inspection is worth the hour it takes.
Both, and in that order. Sealing a structural crack without addressing the movement or water pressure that opened it means it reopens. We identify what moved and why, correct the drainage and soil conditions driving it, then repair and reinforce the wall.
Usually not. Most Alberta policies treat foundation settlement and gradual water seepage as maintenance rather than a sudden covered event, while a burst pipe or a sewer backup with the right endorsement typically is covered. Check your own policy wording. The practical takeaway is that the repair is on you, which is exactly why catching it early costs less.
A localised repair such as a corner rebuild or crack reinforcement is often one to three days. Wall reinforcement with excavation runs longer, typically four to seven days depending on the length of wall and how deep we have to go. You get a schedule in the written quote.
Small leaks become big repairs with every freeze-thaw cycle. Get it looked at now, for free.
Book a Free InspectionAfter the extreme heavy rainfalls in Edmonton this July, Milad's came out, inspected, and provided a reasonable quote quickly. A 7 foot foundation crack was fixed and secured well.They even hauled extra clay to low spots around the foundation and cleaned up so well afterwards.
He took the time to inspect the problem, explained what was causing the leak, and walked us through the best solution without any pressure.Since the waterproofing was completed we've had heavy rain and our basement has stayed completely dry.
He came by, explained what needed to be done, and gave me a fair price without any pressure.The work was completed on time, everything was cleaned up, and we've had rain since then and my basement has stayed dry.
Call, text a photo, or use the form. We'll assess it, explain what's happening, and give you a written quote at no cost.
Milad's Waterproofing
13458 Fort Rd NW
Edmonton, AB T5A 1C5