We Fix Bowing Walls
A horizontal crack in a poured concrete wall is the most common sign of a bowing wall.
With block concrete walls, a horizontal crack through the blocks can also indicate a bowed wall. These cracks can also appear as “steps.”
A simple way to decipher if your wall is bowing is to take a four-foot level on its narrow edge and hold it against the area that’s bowing. If there is a gap between the end of the level and the wall, it means that the wall is bowing.
As a visual example of bowing walls, consider the shape of a bed pillow. The middle of the pillow is wider and “bulging” compared to the seams at the edge of the pillow. Similarly, a bowed wall will often seem like it’s “bulging” as well.
Bowing walls are usually caused by ground movement. This ground movement (expansion and contraction of the soil against the wall) can cause structural changes.
There are a number of ways to stabilize a bowed wall. Two of the most common are installing steel wall anchors or carbon fiber straps. Both of these add integrity to bowing walls and add longevity to the overall structure.
Steel wall anchors are installed through the foundation wall. We cut a hole in the wall, attach a helix to the drive head, and screw the helix and pipe out into the yard about 15’ away from your home. A steel plate is then attached to the end of the pipe sticking through the wall. This secures the entire assembly in place.
Our experts can help walk you through this process if it’s necessary to fix bowing walls in your home or property.
Depending on the amount of bowing in a wall, carbon fiber straps are another material our team uses to stabilize bowing walls. Our team will help decide if this is the best choice to make these structural repairs.
How soon should I get it fixed?
Structural problems are not going to heal themselves! For example, once a wall has begun to bow, it won’t get any better on its own. In fact, it will often get worse over time.
Additional freeze/thaw ground cycles can continue to add damage to structural damages. Ground movement won’t stop and therefore neither will the progression of damages to your home.
We Fix Foundation Dropping
Foundation dropping occurs alongside soil subsiding. When dirt washes away from underneath the concrete, it leaves space in which your foundation will drop into. Foundation dropping is, quite literally, when your foundation begins to sink deeper into the ground.
Uneven floors are one sign that your foundation could be dropping. Often, foundation dropping is also caused from foundation wall cracks wider than ¼”
Drywall cracking could be another sign of foundation dropping. A home experiencing foundation dropping may also give homeowners a hard time when closing and opening doors and windows.
Foundation dropping usually is fixed with underpinning depending on which area is dropping. Our team of experts will determine which type of underpinning is needed to fix the drop in your foundation.
We service the Plainfield, Naperville, Joliet, Bolingbrook, Aurora, Wheaton and entire west suburban Chicago area. For emergencies, we offer same-day services. Contact us or give us a call at 630-420-1668