It’s not good when a boat is sinking. When you have that foreboding or sinking feeling, something’s not good. It’s also not good when the foundation of your home is sinking!
Tag: Foundation Damage
Basement Braces to Solve Bulging Foundation Walls
By: | Published April 8, 2024
There are few things in your home as important as the basement foundation wall. It helps ensure the structural integrity of your home and fights against the tide of moisture and soil pressing against your basement interior. If it fails, it can devastate your home.
Foundation wall failure typically happens slowly over time, and there are signs that you can see. But only if you know what to look for! Learn how to spot the signs and identify what’s going wrong with your wall before it fails completely.
How Do You Know If Your Foundation Wall is Leaning, Bowed or Bulging?
Fortunately, there are several indic
There are few things in your home as important as the basement foundation wall. It helps ensure the structural integrity of your home and fights against the tide of moisture and soil pressing against your basement interior. If it fails, it can devastate your home.
Bulging foundation walls are how it starts. And then it deteriorates from there. But there’s a way to help mitigate the damage – and that’s by using basement braces to help straighten basement walls and prevent additional leaning.
Read on to learn more about basement braces and how they can help prevent catastrophe in your home!
Types of Basement Braces to Fight Back Against Bulging Foundation Walls
When it comes to dealing with leaning foundation walls or other inward movement, basement braces can be a great solution. They provide structural support, reinforce stability, and overall enhance long-term durability for your foundation. Here are some of the most common types of basement braces you may find:
Wall Anchors
For common bowing or leaning walls, heavy duty wall anchors can help reverse inward movement and restore stability. These anchors are installed into the soil outside of your foundation wall and are connected to a plate on your wall. The heavy-duty steel helps stabilize the wall. It can also straighten the wall back into place.
Versatile anchors are effective for most wall repair situations. The biggest drawback is that they require a large space outside of the home for access. In areas with homes that are built close together, the anchors can’t be installed.
Steel Beams
When wall anchors are not appropriate or possible, steel beams are a popular option. The installation is very straightforward: steel beams are set vertically along the failing foundation wall. While they can’t reverse the bowing, they will prevent any further inward movement.
Steel beams come with a significant downside: their bulk. The beams are large and steal space from your usable basement area. Many homeowners find this undesirable and opt for more modern options.
Helical Piers or Helical Piles for Basement Foundations
Helical piles are steel shafts with helical plates used to stabilize and support basement foundations by transferring loads to stable soil or bedrock. They’re versatile, require minimal excavation, provide immediate load transfer, and can be adjusted to suit different conditions. Their installation is environmentally friendly and offers long-term cost savings. Proper design and installation are crucial for optimal performance and compliance.
Carbon Fiber Wall Braces
You can achieve the bracing effect of steel beams without the bulk by using carbon fiber, the strongest man-made material on the planet. Carbon fiber is a modern marvel that has become accessible due to more affordable mass production methods. Previously, it was only used for applications like space shuttles and bridge repairs.
Carbon fibers are woven together into a sheet that’s resistant to stretching. Attached to the wall with epoxy, the sheet will not only prevent the wall from shifting inward, it will actually reinforce the wall to make it stronger than before.
In addition to its exceptional strength, carbon fiber sheets are extremely thin. Unlike steel beams, this option will be practically invisible. You’ll lose no noticeable space in your basement!
EverDry Toledo recommends StablWall™ carbon fiber for weak walls and aging foundations. This permanent solution can extend the life of your foundation by years and becomes unnoticeable when painted over.
How Do You Know If Your Foundation Wall is Leaning, Bowed or Bulging?
Fortunately, there are several indicators that can help you identify when your basement foundation wall is compromised. When looking for structural issues, they can present themselves differently depending on the type of inward movement your walls are experiencing.
Here are some of the most common signs of problems with your basement foundation wall:
- Cracks in your walls more than 1/8 inch wide
- Angled cracks from the corners of the wall or across the center
- Unleveled flooring
- Water seepage
- Walls sliding inward at the bottom or leaning in at the top
Distinguishing Between Types of Basement Foundation Inward Movement
Not all foundation damage is the same. If you think you’ve identified the early signs of failure, it can help to distinguish between leaning walls or bulging walls. The difference may not seem important, but it can help with locating the source of the problem and deciding on a solution.
Bulging walls in your house often have horizontal cracks, as the pressure is closer to the center of the wall and will cause it to fold in from the center. You can measure for a bulged wall by using a plumb string attached to the ceiling and measuring the distance of the wall, bottom to top. If the wall measures longer than the plumb line, it indicates a failing wall that is likely to be bulging.
Leaning foundation walls will angle slightly. Most homeowners expect leaning walls to lean in from the top. In some cases, the inward movement comes from the bottom instead. Make sure to look for both.
What Can Cause a Foundation Wall to Fail?
Drainage
Inadequate drainage is one of the most common ways that foundations suffer damage
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes & Damage in Your Home
By: | Published November 22, 2023
Frozen pipes are one of those household issues that many of us underestimate until it’s too late. As winter approaches, water in your home’s piping system is at risk of freezing, causing significant inconvenience and, potentially, catastrophic damage. This article will guide you on how to prevent frozen pipes and save your home from the aftermath.
Basement Wall Crack Repair
By: | Published May 26, 2023
When it comes to basement wall crack repair, there are many techniques to try, but which one should you try? And how do you know when to call an expert?
Winter Basement Waterproofing: Avoid Winter Moisture Risks for Your Home
By: | Published February 15, 2023
When winter comes around, it can bring a slew of problems for homeowners, one of which is the risk of basement moisture caused by the cold temperatures. Waterproofing your basement is essential for making sure that your home is protected from the damaging effects of moisture and winter basement waterproofing is a preventative measure that can make a big difference!
Common Causes and Solutions for Cracks in the Foundation of Your Home
By: | Published November 30, 2020
No one wants to discover cracks in their foundation; however ignoring them if you find them is not the answer. So what causes cracks in foundations and what can you do about them? Let’s look at the top five causes of cracks in foundations and three ways to address and fix them.
Flooded Basement Cleanup Costs: The Risk of Not Waterproofing Your Foundation
By: | Published January 24, 2020
Whether it is heavy rains, spring thawing after deep winter snow, or even a plumbing fiasco, too much water can put you in the position of incurring flooded basement cleanup costs. Knowing that it is likely you will have to deal with excess water in your basement at some point is a good reason to invest in waterproofing your foundation.
What Causes Cracks in Basement Floor Concrete? Are They a Serious Risk?
By: | Published October 19, 2017
While every home is unique, they often experience problems that are actually very common. One of the common problems is cracks. These cracks can appear anywhere, from little cracks in walls or tiling to major cracks in basement floors. As a homeowner, you need to know what the cause is and, more importantly, how critical of a problem is it? If you’ve discovered a crack in your basement floor, learn the possible causes and how to handle them below.
Causes of Basement Concrete Cracks
Shrinkage
The two primary parts of concrete are cement and water. After it’s poured, it cures to become solid. As the concrete dries, it will shrink. The degree of shrinkage is largely affected by temperature. If temperatures drop while your basement cures, that can cause cracks. Likewise, sweltering heat will rapidly dry your concrete – and curing too quickly also causes cracks. Even in perfect conditions, over time, your basement concrete will experience some degree of shrinkage.
While there are some ways to help mitigate shrinkage, such as controlled cracks in specific areas, it’s impossible to prevent them. There are certain areas that are more likely to develop these cracks than others, such as around doors or other sharp corners.
On the bright side, cracks in your basement floor due to shrinkage rarely result in any structural problems. However, they still open the doors for other problems like water or pests. That means they should be repaired and sealed whenever you identify them. While you should consider every crack a potential risk, most cracks under one-eighth of an inch wide aren’t a cause to be concerned.
Settlement
Another common cause of cracks in basement floors is when the concrete slab begins to settle. Typically, settlement occurs when the
soil beneath your foundation is too unstable to support the weight of your home
How Freezing Pipes Can Damage Your Foundation
By: | Published January 27, 2016
Remember last year’s polar vortex? Thanks to El Nino, this season’s mild winter has made the arctic blasts we’ve endured the past few years a distant, frigid memory. But that doesn’t mean you should become complacent about the possibility of foundation damage from frozen pipes. Even when your pipes are completely frozen, you should still be concerned. A freeze-thaw cycle – like the ones we’ve been experiencing all season – can take its toll on your home and can lead to expensive plumbing and foundation repairs.
Your home’s foundation is one of the most important features and should ideally last a lifetime. In most cases, foundations are built to withstand normal freezing temperatures with only a bit of flaking or cracking to show for it. But when freezing temperatures cause your pipes to leak, over even worse, burst, that’s a game changer – one which can cause permanent damage to your foundation and possibly endanger the structural integrity of your house.
Of course, not all your plumbing is at risk from freezing (unless the house loses significant heat). The pipes which are most likely to cause foundation damage are the ones exposed to the elements, including those:
- Directly exposed to outside temperatures, such as external sinks and washrooms.
- Indirectly exposed to outside temperatures, like those in unprotected crawlspaces under your home.
- Attached to exterior faucets that are not properly turned off during the wintertime.
Prevent Foundation Damage from Frozen Pipes
An ounce of prevention can save you a fortune in foundation repairs.
Fortunately, there are some easy and inexpensive steps you can take to prevent your pipes from freezing. Most of these can be done any time of year, but if you include these steps when winterizing your home, you’ll save the discomfort and panic of trying to do them when the temperatures dips below the comfort zone.
- Shut off all exposed water pipes during the wintertime when you’re not using them. Shut them off tightly, and look for any leakage in the fittings around the faucet handle. Use a wrench to make sure the fittings are snug.
- Seal any leaks around pipes that enter your home to prevent cold air from seeping in. You can find plenty of information about techniques and products from reputable sources online.
- Insulate pipes in crawl space, attics, and outer walls. You can find these products online or at your local home improvement store.
- Make sure your home’s core temperature doesn’t fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit – even when you’re not around. You can also purchase a home monitoring system that sends you an alert when the temperature drops.
Call Team EverDry
You can’t control every situation, but you can call Team EverDry!
Despite your best efforts, sometimes disaster strikes. If you’ve experienced basement flooding and need your foundation fixed, Team EverDry is just a call away. Schedule a free 20-point inspection or give us a call (419) 841-6055 to make this a leak-free, worry-free winter.
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