If you’ve started to notice bowing, buckling or cracking in your basement or foundation walls, there’s a good possibility that the problem(s) have been existed for a lot longer.
Bowing walls occur when water presses against the basement walls. Thus causing the walls to exceed their structural capacity. Walls will bow and fail when expansive clays or frost cause expansion of the soils to fatigue and damage the wall. Visual signs of your foundation failing is an indicator of larger issues. These issues should not be taken lightly and repairs should be made as swiftly as possible. Keep in mind that replacing your foundation is not the only solution available. And the quicker you contact us at San Antonio Foundation Repair the better.
Here is some information to consider and a list of methods you can take to address foundation wall issues:
Further foundation repair manifestations to keep an eye out for:
Doors, windows, cabinets sticking out and/or becoming more problematic to open.
Cracks in brick chimneys, walls or patios
Chimneys leaning away from the structure
Basement walls buckled, bulging or bowing
Retaining walls leaning
What can you do to support your structure? You can have steel beams installed for foundation supports. To do this the basement floor along the walls will be jackhammered wherever the beams need to be placed. The beams will then be installed and fastened to the flooring joists to the floor above.
Carbon fiber fabric installed in tough strips on the foundation walls to brace the weakened areas. Installation involves prepping surface area where the carbon fiber will then be installed with epoxy. The installation is fast and relatively inexpensive, making this a better option than some.
Foundation wall anchors are marginally effective solutions for problematic foundation walls. Helical anchors are comprised of a long rod with a corkscrew end that affixes to a wall plate in foundation wall. Ton install, large holes are created in the wall (for block walls, blocks will be removed) where anchors installation is occurring. A helical anchor is then drilled through this hole into the soil. The hole is refilled with concrete, then wall plates are installed.
Last option are wall anchors. They are designed with three fundamental parts: an exterior earth anchor, an interior wall plate, and a connecting steel rod. Together, they work to counteract the pressure being exerted against the wall. When foundation anchors are installed, a small area of your yard is removed and excavated. The earth anchor is implanted inside the excavated area. A hole small is then drilled through the foundation wall from inside the structure. A steel rod is placed through this hole and is driven out to the earth anchor in the yard. Outside the structure, an anchor is fixed on the rod, with a wall plate fixed against the inside foundation wall. This anchor is tightened against the wall, and the tightening process is repeated over time. Once the installation is finished, the hole is filled in, and the removed portion of lawn is restored.