Wall Repair System
Cracking and bowing foundation walls can be repaired if you catch the problem in time. If you’re wondering how an expert can fix these walls, the SettleStop IntelliBrace™ wall repair system could work for you.
SettleStop IntelliBrace™ Wall Repair System
Groundworks’ SettleStop IntelliBrace™ system is designed for walls bowing over two inches, especially when exterior excavation for wall anchors isn’t feasible. Early intervention protects your home from further damage and allows for the most effective wall repair approach.
Contact a foundation repair expert at the first sign of foundation damage.
Why Do Homeowners Choose SettleStop IntelliBrace?
Homeowners choose the IntelliBrace wall repair system for many reasons. The most common benefits include:
Minimal Property Disruption
Homeowners often prefer foundation wall repair systems that do not require exterior wall access for installation. Some wall repair solutions, like wall anchors, require excavation near the foundation to connect the straightening mechanism. However, this access is only feasible for some properties. Groundworks’ foundation repair experts install the wall repair system inside the basement without excavation or landscape disruption.
Wall Straightening Potential
When a foundation expert installs the wall repair system, its sole purpose is to stabilize the wall and prevent further inward movement caused by hydrostatic pressure. The straightening process occurs gradually over time. Once the wall is stabilized, a foundation professional can gradually tighten the wall repair system. Adjusting the system slowly facilitates wall re-alignment.
Advanced Wall Support and Design
IntelliBrace I-beams offer more support than conventional I-beams. These support beams for basements are anchored to the floor joists and the concrete, providing unmatched reinforcement and strength. The wall system is designed with superior quality and engineered to support wall weight and counteract outside pressure.
IntelliBrace is a minimally invasive and effective wall repair system.
Is IntelliBrace the Right Solution for Your Foundation?
The SettleStop IntelliBrace system best suits mild to moderate bowing walls, providing early-stage support to prevent further misalignment and deterioration. Addressing wall damage early prevents further deterioration and safety risks. Significant damage, such as severe tilting, bowing, and cracking, may require immediate repair.
Contact a foundation repair expert for an inspection when you notice the initial signs of bowing or cracking. Professionals will determine if IntelliBrace™ is the right choice for your home.
Alternative Solutions to Stabilize a Bowing Basement Wall
Extensive wall damage may require additional support. Alternative bowing basement wall solutions include:
- Wall anchors: A traditional wall support solution provides increased stabilization for severe damage by anchoring a metal bracket to the affected wall, with a steel cable extending into the outside soil.
- Carbon Fiber Reinforcement: Our carbon straps are ten times stronger than steel and provide robust support for significantly bowed walls.
DIY foundation repair is a safety risk that often causes additional damage. Groundworks’ foundation repair experts evaluate the extent of damage, structural limitations, and other factors and determine if IntelliBrace is the right choice for your home. Regular foundation monitoring identifies issues early and prevents further damage and more costly repairs.
Foundation Wall Repair FAQs
It’s a good idea to know a little bit more about what might indicate that you’re having foundation wall problems. These things all indicate some sort of foundation wall problem in your basement.
- Bowing Basement Walls
This is one of the most common symptoms of foundation wall problems. A bowing basement wall occurs when the top and bottom of the wall are in more or less the correct place, but somewhere in the middle, the wall pushes inward toward the inside of the basement. This indicates that the basement wall has started to move out of the way because of pressure from the outside.
Whether it’s only a small amount or it’s extremely obvious, you need to take steps to avoid bowing basement walls in general. If you leave the problem, it’s only going to get worse, especially once it’s started moving into a bowing position. Plus, if you catch the problem earlier, you’re more likely to be able to fix it.
- Cracks in Basement Walls
Another indication of a problem is if you start to see cracks in your walls. Two common types of cracks tend to indicate foundational concerns: stair-step cracks and horizontal cracks. Hairline cracks can exist and not be a foundational problem, but they may let water into the basement because water is great at going through even the tiniest of openings.
If you have stair-step cracks or horizontal cracks, however, it almost always indicates that there’s a foundational problem. Horizontal cracks typically indicate that the wall is bowing inward, putting stress on that area. Stair step cracks typically indicate that one side of the wall is sinking more than the other, adding tension on one side until it cracks.
- Waterproofing Problems in Your Basement
It’s also important to look at the waterproofing options you have available in your basement. Your basement needs to stay as clean and dry as possible; many homeowners have gone through the basement waterproofing process. However, if those waterproofing measures fail, you might have foundational problems.
This is especially true with cracks in the wall. Even the tiniest cracks can cause water to flow through the basement walls. It may be very slow or relatively fast, but regardless of the speed, water in your basement can cause many different problems. Water problems should be cause for concern, especially if you have already waterproofed your basement.
The process of repairing bowing walls makes it much easier for you to manage your basement health. If you have issues with your basement walls, you need to repair them as early as you can. Repairing your bowing basement walls will help you in a variety of ways.
- Serious Foundation Concerns
Although it’s relatively rare, if you leave the bowing walls for too long, you can end up with serious foundation concerns, up to and including a complete collapse of one or more walls in your basement. That’s because bowing basement walls are a symptom of a problem, not the problem itself, and countering the problem is crucial.
Even though it’s not very common, you want to avoid complete foundation failure at all costs. These serious foundation problems should be more than enough reason to fix your bowing basement walls. This is especially true because serious foundation concerns can build over time, causing even more trouble.
- An Expert Can Help Make the Repair Easy
An early foundation fix will always be easier. You need to make sure you’re repairing these bowed basement walls as early as possible so you can do it in a less invasive and more effective manner rather than waiting until it’s going to hurt you.
You don’t need to try and fix your bowed basement walls alone, and a DIY fix can even make the foundation worse, rather than better. If you entrust your basement wall repair to an expert from Groundworks, you’ll be much more likely to get a thorough repair that will help you fix all the problems you’re experiencing in your home.
Reinforcing your foundation walls can be an extremely effective way to maintain your home’s foundation under the weight of expansive soil. However, you need to make sure that you’re doing it properly.
- Methods of Reinforcement
There are many ways to reinforce foundation walls, ranging from wall anchors to carbon fiber repair processes to wall repair systems. Each of these is designed to provide structure and support for the walls, so they aren’t left to collapse inward when soils withdraw or get crushed when they expand.
Of course, not all of these solutions are necessary to implement at once. The reason there are so many options to choose from is that each offers its advantages. An expert can provide a free inspection to see what issues you’re dealing with. Using this knowledge, they can then recommend a support structure that will help safeguard your home against damage.
- Reasons to Reinforce
If the damage to your home has been negligible so far, you may think support structures are overkill. Surely your home could just weather the expansion and contraction, right? Sadly, no foundation is strong enough to handle expansive soils long-term. The exception would be if the home was designed with these extra wall anchors or piers from the moment it was built. For many homes, especially older ones, this is not the case.
Reinforcing your foundation walls can help stop and repair damage and even safeguard your foundation against damage in the future. That’s because the reinforcing structures will take the brunt of the pressure from expansive soils, so your more delicate walls and foundation aren’t overwhelmed. Likewise, they may even correct tilting walls and make it possible to repair surface-level damage. If you don’t reinforce the foundation, then problems will only escalate until they need to be fully replaced.
Groundworks Offers Expert Basement Wall Repair
Need to stabilize bowing basement walls on your property? Groundworks offers free inspections to diagnose foundation problems and recommend basement wall repair options tailored to your unique needs and budget.
Contact us to determine whether IntelliBrace is the right solution for your home.