What To Do About Bowing Basement Walls

Bowing concrete block walls in your basement is not a situation to ignore. If your block walls are bowing it means there is pressure pushing against the foundation wall from the outside. If you leave it alone, that pressure will keep pushing and could cause the wall to collapse.

This pressure can be from hydrostatic pressure building up in the soil outside the foundation wall. Tree roots can also push against block walls and cause them to bow. Deterioration, settlement and shrinkage all can cause foundation cracks that could result in a weaken foundation that is more susceptible to bowing.

It is important to determine the cause of the bowing basement walls in order to permanently fix the problem. Remove the cause. If it is hydrostatic pressure, a waterproofing system and proper yard drainage will alleviate the problem. If it is a tree root you may consider removing the tree that is causing the issue.

Removing the issue is just the first step. Most likely even after you remove the cause your wall will still be bowed and in need of repair. There are several foundation repair methods to save your foundation wall.

Steel I-Beams

Steel I-beams are installed from the inside of the basement. You secure steel beams in place to brace the bowing wall. It is important that this system is also tied into the frame work of the house to make sure it is set in place. This system braces the wall and prevents it from moving any more. It doesn’t straighten the wall back in place. Because these braces are straight steel beams they only will support where the wall is bowing at its worst. This system tends to be more expensive and homeowners don’t like how big and bulky they are. The basement can be finished with a steel I-beam system but several inches are taken out of the area of the basement because of the system’s size. The steel I-beam system is also just a bracing system. It doesn’t resolve any of the causes or straighten the wall.

Wall Anchors

Wall anchors are a wall straightening system that pulls the wall back in place from the outside of the wall. An earth anchor is drilled into place from the outside of the wall and a plate is anchors to the wall from the inside of the wall. The exterior earth anchor is tied to the interior wall plate with a connecting steel rod. There are two basic types of wall anchors: helical wall anchors and basic foundation anchors. The helical wall anchor has a corkscrew end that attaches to the wall plate and a basic foundation anchor is tied with a steel rod. The steel rod is tightened between the anchor and the steel plate and the tightening process is repeated to slowly straighten the wall.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber is another foundation repair method for bowing basement walls. The carbon fiber sheet is installed over the bowing wall and tied into the wood framing with ties. This system is similar to the steel I-beams without the bulky beams. It is attached with epoxy to brace the wall. Carbon fiber comes in sheets or strips. It is actually stronger than steel but ultra light so there isn’t the same labor costs to install this system.

Rebuild The Block Wall

In extreme cases, a foundation repair contractor may suggest jacking up your house and rebuilding your block wall foundation. This method is an extreme solution and should be looked at as a last resort. However, if the integrity of the block wall is compromised then a compete tear-down and rebuild may be your only answer.