My Basement Wall Is Bowing - What Do I Do?
Potential foundation wall failure is a scary situation to be in.
However, in the most cases, it's fixable!
And if your walls are bowing, tipping in at the top, or pushing in at the bottom, then we have good news — we can repair it.
How? Well, we're not going to rebuilt the foundation from scratch. Often times, we don't need to. There's many ways to reinforce your walls or straighten them over time.
First, let's break down why your basement walls might be bowing inward.
Why Is My Basement Wall Doing This?
Before visiting your home, we can offer a few potential reasons — and the real reason could even be a combination of these answers.
- Frost. Frost forces can be extremely powerful. They can put pressure on a wall and cause it to fail — especially for unheated basements — or even lift shallow foundations up out of the ground, causing significant damage to the home.
- Expansive clay soil. Ever looked at a dirt baseball field during a dry spell? The dirt cracks. That's because when it rains, the dirt expands. That expanding clay soil can put a lot of pressure on your basement walls without you realizing it.
- Hydrostatic pressure. When water saturates the backfill soils around your foundation, the water exerts pressure against your walls due to the force of gravity.
These reasons seem like laws of nature. You might think that there's nothing you can do about frost damaging your foundation.
Thankfully, that's not true. With some clever engineering, there are ways to repair and even correct your bowing basement walls.
How Do I Fix My Bowing Basement Wall?
When it comes to foundations, everything is gradual. That can work to your benefit.
Wall Anchors
Our GeoLock wall anchor system stabilizes the foundation after being embedded into the soil, away from the foundation wall. Then, they're connected to steel wall plates with galvanized steel rods. This system will hold walls in their current position without any further adjustment. However, during dry seasons, they can tighten to correct the wall over time. Almost like braces, but for foundation walls!
Steel Beams
Our PowerBrace system stabilizes the foundation after being installed into the concrete flooring, and allows for straightening over time. Utilizing a joist reinforcement method that distributes the load evenly, this system won't damage wood floor joists commonly seen with other steel beam systems. This is a great solution if you don't have several feet of property away from the foundation to install wall anchors into. Its zinc-plated components also provide a clean appearance, unlike black, uncoated or painted steel, which easily rust over time.
What's My First Step?
It's important to address this concern sooner than later. We recommend calling a local foundation expert to take a look.
Our team serves the entire state of Alaska. Give us a call and see if you qualify for a free estimate!
