Repair bowed basement walls
If you are wondering how to repair bowed basement walls you are likely considering one or two of the following options for your foundation fix: wall anchors or carbon fiber foundation reinforcement.
The older technique of installing a wall anchor involves a large bolt that goes through your foundation mounted to a plate inside and a fixed point outside in the soil. This works like a giant clamp holding the bowed basement walls to the dirt outside. You will not be able to finish your basement with this type of foundation repair because it will need routine maintenance to keep the bolts / wall anchors tight due to expanding and contracting soils. Another downside is the clamps only hold the areas where the plates are installed in the wall, an area about 1 x 2 feet ever six feet apart. This technique if used to try to straighten the walls will create a wavy effect due to the fact the point being moved is just behind the wall anchor plate.
The most current technology in foundation repair is the carbon fiber meshed with kevlar strap system. With this system the engineered straps are embedded into the face of the foundation with an epoxy from the floor to the top of the foundation wall. Once cured, these straps do not stretch or tear and they create a web effect on the bowed basement walls to lock them in place permanently.
The best way to straighten bowed basement walls is full excavation to remove all pressure from the wall. The wall will then need to be stabilized since it has fractures (thus the bowed basement walls) to ensure the walls to not simply return to their bowed state or worse. Using the carbon fiber and Kevlar mesh straps in this scenario is best case since they allow for no movement.
For more information or guidance in how to repair bowed basement walls in the Northeast Ohio area such as Akron, Canton, Medina, Kent, Cuyahoga Falls etc… Call Pioneer Basement Solutions at 1-877-321-4889.
