Do You Have a Bowed Foundation Wall?
/Your home relies on its foundation walls to remain stable, solid and upright. Although designed to tolerate vertical forces acting against them, foundation walls can sometimes become damaged, resulting in bowing.
Causes of Bowed Foundation Walls in Niagara
When there’s excessive moisture in the ground, soil can expand and exert pressure against the wall. Drying causes the soil to contract. These soil pressure changes result in bowed foundation walls and horizontal cracks.
Besides temperature changes, bowed foundation walls can be a result of large trees, shrub roots or foundation deterioration due to age.
When bowed foundation walls occur, water leaks and further structural damage follows. If nothing is done to repair the damage and fix the cause, further damage will continue to occur.
Signs and Symptoms of Bowed Walls
Depending on whether you have a block or poured concrete foundation, there are some telltale signs of bowed walls.
Block Foundations
Stair Step and Horizontal Cracks: Cracks along the mortar joints (noticeable on either the outside or inside of the foundation walls) can result in stair step and horizontal cracks.
Horizontal Shearing: Along the bottom of the wall, horizontal shearing can occur.
Tipping: Inspect the top of the wall to see if the wall may seem to tip inward.
Poured Concrete Foundations
Vertical/Horizontal Cracks: Possibly due to settling, it’s important to see if these cracks grow in size.
Diagonal Cracks: A strong indicator for a bowed foundation wall, diagonal cracks are often noticed in foundation wall corners.
Tipping: A wall that appears to be tipping inward needs to be inspected.
Solutions for Bowed Foundation Walls
Once you determine the cause of your bowed foundation wall, there are several different solutions available:
Steel “I” beam systems can be installed against the problem wall and are concrete into the floor and attached above as well. This method is unsightly and if the basement is to be finished, the wall must be built out to cover the beams.
Wall pins can also be used. This method involves a hole to be broken in the concrete block wall to allow steel reinforcing rods to be inserted and filled with concrete.
Our method of choice is a cost effective, non-intrusive Carbon fiber/kevlar woven mesh strips (Fortress Stabilization). These strips are superior to steel since they are stiffer, stronger and non-corrosive. After the strips are applied with structural epoxy and cure, the concrete block wall can be painted for a smooth clean look.
A foundation repair contractor will know the best solution for your individual bowed foundation wall problem.
Foundation Fix Provides Foundation Wall Repairs in St. Catharines and Niagara
Even if you complete a regular foundation inspection, it’s easy to miss signs for a bowed foundation wall. That’s why it’s best to trust a foundation expert when it comes to ensuring your home’s foundation is free of bowed walls.
Servicing the St. Catharines, Grimsby, and Niagara area, Foundation Fix has been providing no-obligation on-site inspections of foundations for years. No matter what type of foundation issue you are experiencing, we can be trusted to provide the best resolution!
Whether it’s an exterior drainage system, wall reinforcement and wall anchors and/or crack repairs, we know what solution will rid your home of its foundation problem. Contact us today for more information about our foundation wall repair services.
