Causes & Solutions for Foundation Wall Failure

The soil around your home puts a lot of pressure on the foundation walls.  The amount of pressure varies depending on the type of soil, the amount of moisture in the soil, and how deep the foundation is in the ground.  When the pressure from the soil is greater than what the basement walls can handle, the walls begin to crack, bow, or push inward.  There are 3 common causes of wall failure: expansive clay soil, hydrostatic pressure, and frost.

Clay soil expands and contracts depending on the amount of moisture in the ground.  It shrinks whenever it’s dry, and expands when it gets wet.  As the clay soil expands in size during rainy seasons, it puts a lot of pressure on your basement walls.  When the pressure becomes too much, the walls will begin to push inward.

Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid due to the force of gravity.  Simply put, if water is able to accumulate within the spaces and voids of the backfill soils, the water will exert a great amount of pressure against the basement walls.

In areas with extremely cold winter climates, frost can put pressure on basement walls and cause them to fail.  This is especially common if the basement is not heated.  The forces exerted by frost can be very powerful and can even lift shallow foundations up out of the ground, causing significant damage to the home.

The best solution for wall failure problems is the Geo-Lock Wall Anchor System offered by Foundation SupportWorks.  They permanently stabilize your home and even attempt to straighten the walls over time.  Even though the installation is done from both the interior and exterior, no heavy equipment is required inside the home, making this the quickest and most efficient solution.

First, a small hole is drilled in the foundation wall on the interior of the basement.  This hole is easy to seal after installation is complete because it is so small, so water leaking in is not a problem.  Sod is removed around the perimeter and a hole is dug in stable soil outside of the home.  A ¾” galvanized steel rod is then driven through the wall from the inside and out into the hole.  A galvanized Geo-Lock wall anchor is placed over the hole and is connected to the steel rod.  On the inside of the home, a heavy-duty wall plate is installed over the steel rod.

The wall plates are specifically engineered to make contact with 8 of the concrete blocks on the foundation wall in order to distribute holding forces effectively.  Also, the wall plates are 14 ½” wide so they fit on a 16” center stud in a standard basement.  Installation is completed by replacing the dirt and sod and tightening the system.  Geo-Lock Wall Anchors provide the best opportunity to permanently solve the problem and possibly improve the walls over time.