Bowing Wall Repair
Proven solutions to address your bowed basement wall.
An unstable situation
If your basement wall appears to be cracked, bulging inward and looks unstable – it probably is. In fact, a bowing wall is a problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later before it worsens and becomes more costly to repair.
However, a bowing basement wall does not mean your contractor was at fault or that your house was poorly built. Environmental factors have simply combined to create an unstable situation. Many homeowners face the same problem. But be assured, ‘58 Foundations has helped thousands of customers just like you with this type of foundation repair. We have a solution to stabilize your bowing wall.
The horizontal crack is a tell-tell sign of a bowing wall. Carbon fiber straps were installed to repair the bowing of this basement wall. Depending on the severity, we may use helical tieback anchors or steel I-beams.
Why Choose Us
Licensed & Highly Trained Staff
We pride ourselves on professionalism. Our team is highly trained, background checked, and insured. We adhere to CDC protocols. Nothing is left to chance.
More Affordable than Ever
Financing to fit your budget.* Foundation repair solutions designed with your needs and budget in mind. No fear of high-pressure sales.
Strongest Structural Warranty
Our structural warranty offers the highest level of protection available. Our foundation repair systems are warranted for 25 years to life.*
Hundreds of Thousands of Satisfied Customers
Since 1958, we've been delivering on our promise of structurally repaired foundation with integrity, deep industry knowledge, and fair pricing.
Why is your basement wall bowing?
A bowing basement wall is typically caused by hydrostatic pressure. This is the force of water-saturated soil expanding and pushing on the exterior of the wall. Because there is nothing on the interior to counter that force, the wall begins to move. If left untreated, the wall can continue to move inward and eventually may collapse.
Bowing walls are most often seen in foundation walls constructed with concrete blocks. These concrete blocks are held together with mortar, and the mortar (unless it is reinforced), is the weakest spot. This is where you are most likely to see the failure. The walls are strongest at the corners, so the bowing is typically found toward the middle – in the form of stairstep foundation cracks.
Hydrostatic pressure due to poor drainage of the immediate exterior is normally to blame. Freezing and thawing in the Northeast contributes to the problem, as well as water-saturated clay-like soil in the Southeast.
Hydrostatic pressure – the pressure exerted by fluids at rest (i.e. water weight). That pressure, as with any pressure, can accumulate over time. As the pressure builds, concrete block basement walls will bow and cracks or gaps appear at the weaker point – typically close to the middle.
'58 Strong Steel I-Beams. For larger bows, '58 Strong Steel I-Beams are the right solution. Once installed, this wall is stable and secure!
Options for bowed basement wall repair
‘58 Foundations offers three solutions to stabilize or repair a bowed basement wall. Each basement bracing solution is dictated by the depth of the bow and the intended result – stabilization or straightening. Walls that are bowed 4-inches or less can be saved. Walls that are bowed more than 4-inches may have to be reconstructed.
Carbon Fiber Strapping
When the bow of your wall is 2-inches or less, Carbon Fiber Strapping can be used. It is the least invasive stabilization technique. This 8-inch wide material is epoxied to your bowing wall to prevent any further movement.
First the wall is scarified, which means all paint and residue is removed from the wall to reveal a clean, porous surface. Then the Carbon Fiber material is soaked in epoxy and placed on the porous wall so it bonds tightly. Strips run from the top of the wall to the floor and are mechanically fastened to the wood framing and the slab. On a typical 8-foot wall with 7-foot of exterior backfill, the strips are placed 2-foot from the corner and then every 4-foot.
Steel I-Beam Reinforcement
On occasions where the basement wall is bowed up to 2-inches but not more than 4-inches, Steel I-Beams offer a very solid solution. Placed 2-foot from the corner and then every 4-foot, they are mechanically anchored top and bottom. Once installed, they are unforgiving and will not move.
Steel I-Beams are a perfect solution if your basement does not have a slab. In this instance, a 2-foot wide, 3-foot deep trench is dug out 2-feet from the wall. The I-Beams are placed in the trench and the void is filled with concrete to create a solid foundation.
You may lose some square footage if finishing your basement over the I-Beams, but when the I-Beam is secured against the bowing wall, it is very stable.
Helical Tieback Anchors
Helical Tiebacks are used in any instance of a wall bowing 4-inches or less and when you want to straighten the wall back to its original vertical position. Think of the Tieback as a giant ground screw. A long galvanized 1.25-inch diameter screw is driven through the wall and anchored into the ground outside. Inside, against the wall, a threaded plate (or C-channel bracket) is added.
If you excavate on the outside before you place the helical tieback, you may be able to actually draw the wall back up to vertical. This is accomplished by turning the helical tieback like a screw (before the dirt is replaced). This is the only solution that can potentially bring your wall back to plumb.
Options for bowed basement wall repair
‘58 Foundations offers three solutions to stabilize or repair a bowed basement wall. Each basement bracing solution is dictated by the depth of the bow and the intended result – stabilization or straightening. Walls that are bowed 4-inches or less can be saved. Walls that are bowed more than 4-inches may have to be reconstructed.
Carbon Fiber Strapping
When the bow of your wall is 2-inches or less, Carbon Fiber Strapping can be used. It is the least invasive stabilization technique. This 8-inch wide material is epoxied to your bowing wall to prevent any further movement.
First the wall is scarified, which means all paint and residue is removed from the wall to reveal a clean, porous surface. Then the Carbon Fiber material is soaked in epoxy and placed on the porous wall so it bonds tightly. Strips run from the top of the wall to the floor and are mechanically fastened to the wood framing and the slab. On a typical 8-foot wall with 7-foot of exterior backfill, the strips are placed 2-foot from the corner and then every 4-foot.
Steel I-Beam Reinforcement
On occasions where the basement wall is bowed up to 2-inches but not more than 4-inches, Steel I-Beams offer a very solid solution. Placed 2-foot from the corner and then every 4-foot, they are mechanically anchored top and bottom. Once installed, they are unforgiving and will not move.
Steel I-Beams are a perfect solution if your basement does not have a slab. In this instance, a 2-foot wide, 3-foot deep trench is dug out 2-feet from the wall. The I-Beams are placed in the trench and the void is filled with concrete to create a solid foundation.
You may lose some square footage if finishing your basement over the I-Beams, but when the I-Beam is secured against the bowing wall, it is very stable.
Helical Tieback Anchors
Helical Tiebacks are used in any instance of a wall bowing 4-inches or less and when you want to straighten the wall back to its original vertical position. Think of the Tieback as a giant ground screw. A long galvanized 1.25-inch diameter screw is driven through the wall and anchored into the ground outside. Inside, against the wall, a threaded plate (or C-channel bracket) is added.
If you excavate on the outside before you place the helical tieback, you may be able to actually draw the wall back up to vertical. This is accomplished by turning the helical tieback like a screw (before the dirt is replaced). This is the only solution that can potentially bring your wall back to plumb.
'58 Strong Steel I-Beams. For larger bows, '58 Strong Steel I-Beams are the right solution. Once installed, this wall is stable and secure!
We treat your home like our home
Unless you’re putting in helical tiebacks to straighten the wall, all work is done on the inside. Our experienced team will put up plastic curtains to contain the dust and debris in jackhammering is necessary with the I-beams. When scarifying the walls to apply Carbon Fiber Strapping, we use a vacuum system to remove the fine particles. In addition, we create a negative pressure environment in the basement, so everything is blown safely outside.
With any basement bracing installation, we clean thoroughly upon completion of the project.
'58 Strong Carbon fiber wall straps stabilize concrete block walls with smaller deflections. Our waterproofing drainage channel seen at the base of wall is not necessary for wall stabilization. In this case the basement was leaking as well.
Only the best for our customers
Foundation repair experts at ‘58 Foundations have been providing solutions to bowed basement walls for more than 60 years. The products we use are ICC registered and engineered to exacting specifications. We provide you with a ‘life of the structure’ warrantee on every installation (transferable upon sale). We never ‘experiment’ on your home. We’ve done foundation wall repairs thousands of times so you can be certain these are proven solutions. Our commitment to you is a professional job done efficiently and effectively.
