Wall Repair System

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.