Can I Do Anything About My Bowing Basement Walls?

Bending or bowing basement walls indicate a severe foundation collapse condition. When this happens, the walls deform, bending inwards towards the basement living area. This problem is caused by the weakening of the basement walls due to a combination of pressure and vertical or horizontal cracking. Bowing basement walls can be covered in water stains, mold, fungus, or white weathering due to leaking water. There are usually vertical or horizontal cracks, but most are horizontal due to the direction of the curvature of the walls. 

Foundation walls are not made to expand in any direction, so cracking and buckling from lateral earth pressure can sometimes occur. If you have a bowing foundation wall, or if your foundation wall is sloping or otherwise showing signs of moving inward, this could be caused by the pressure exerted on the foundation and is a cause for serious concern. Over time, this constant (or at least seasonal) pressure builds up on basement walls and eventually causes them to crack and sag inward. 

Hydrostatic pressure is the most common cause of inward warping or swelling of basement walls, and the pressure must be reduced to avoid permanent damage or failure. This is done through external leveling and backfilling processes and the installation of a drainage system. The saturated and expanded soil creates hydrostatic pressure on the foundation wall structure. 

Weakened center wall arches can cause concrete block foundation walls to crack, but the damage doesn’t stop there! The problem continues to grow, creating a large bump or bend in the wall. Over time, this can cause the walls to become displaced significantly inward and even create one or more horizontal or stepped cracks along the interior and exterior walls, further worsening their condition. All these indications indicate that the foundation is likely to sink due to the lateral pressure of the soil. 

 Deformations are caused by excess hydrostatic pressure from the outside, which presses on the wall from saturated exterior soil. If you are in the basement, you will see a bulge or ledge in the wall towards where you are. If the force of hydrostatic pressure exceeds the resistance of the wall, it will crack or break. 

 If the wall is filled with concrete, the usual reinforcement process, the most common type of crack is diagonal. Walls that deviate 6 inches or more from their original position are severely curved and often need to be replaced. Walls curving further inward require a different and more expensive method of restoration, which may involve extensive excavation work on the outside. 

 Wall anchors can eliminate many wall bending problems, including those that cause cracks, internal bulges, and landslides. Installing wall anchors and repairing foundations can solve your arch wall problems, but you must get high-quality help from a professional. Industry experts can provide solutions for your home while ensuring the critical safety of those in your home. 

 Contact Basement Masters’s local professional foundation repair contractor for options available for repairing damaged basement walls. If you have vaulted basement walls, it’s best to have your home inspected by a professional foundation contractor who can pinpoint the cause and provide the correct solution. Before contacting a foundation repair company to find out the cost of repairing a bowing basement wall, it is helpful to measure the amount of deformation that occurs. If you see crooked walls in your basement or suspect there may be any other warning signs, you should contact a qualified professional to help you accurately assess the situation. 

 Fortunately, foundation contractors can often implement a variety of fixes for issues like kinks and cracks. Even with proper construction, the foundation may need to be rehabilitated, like if moisture floods the soil around the foundation, for example. Cracked walls repaired using only injected material can suffer from creep and long-term fatigue, leading to failure over time due to foundation motion. 

 It is unsafe to reinforce the wall only at the point where it flexes the most since the load is simply transferred to another part of the base of the structure. This can cause the wall to cut through from below or collapse completely inward, which is a dangerous safety hazard! If the wall deforms, buckles, or breaks over time, our carbon fiber wall reinforcement can transfer the load from the damaged wall to the new support structure. 

 This product is a great choice when you need to deal with wall buckling and warping. Our innovative solutions solve the real cause of foundation problems and permanently stabilize crumbling basement walls. By analyzing your foundation problems, our professional team can determine the best solution for your home’s arched walls. 

 If space around the foundation is limited, we offer custom basement wall repair options. We repair bent, sloped, and cracked basement walls using wall anchors, steel beams, carbon fiber, and more. Our goal is to restore the safety of your home! We at Basement Masters recommend stabilizing basement walls and, if possible, straightening them over time to avoid costly foundation replacements. 

 Our professional solutions and quality products will help you deal with the settlement and deformation of foundation walls. Whether your walls are just starting to show signs of instability or have developed horizontal cracks or cuts, our team can install custom solutions, such as steel beams, as a proven and affordable precaution. These solutions include basement wall brackets, basement wall anchors, epoxy injection, and more. 

 When combined with installing a drainage system, your basement is sure to last for years to come! Improve the quality of your home and restore its integrity with Basement Masters Waterproofing today! Call us at (571) 371-0960 or visit our website for more information.