Photo Album: Bowing Foundation Wall Repair in East Lansing

Our customer called in the middle of a real estate transaction. The problem? The house had a few bowing walls, one of which was severe. Problems with a basement or foundation can be a huge hindrance in the sale of a home, so this needed to be fixed not only for the home's safety, but the convenience of the buyer and seller. We used a combination of PowerBraces and Wall Anchors to stabilize the bowing walls with the hopes of straightening them over time.

Inspecting a Bowed Wall

It's important to do a top to bottom, inside and out inspection of a home when there are water or foundation issues.

DIY Attempts to Fill in Wall Crack

What looks like caulk was used in this DIY attempt at filling in the gaps in mortar created by the wall cracks. We've seen everything from caulk to spray foam to rubberized paint, and the thing they all have in common is that they don't work. It's especially dangerous to treat the symptoms of a wall crack without finding the source.

Sump Pump and Dehumidifier in Basement

The basement didn't have noticeable water issues, but when the previous owner of the home noticed the beginnings of mold, they took action by having a sump pump installed an adding a dehumidifier. While we would prefer the sump to have a cover (eliminates the risk of damage), for now they're doing the job.

Cracks in Basement Wall

Multiple stairstep cracks on the left side of this wall, as well as some cracking near the floor, point to a severe bowing issue.

Cracks Around Basement Window

It's unsurprising that many cracks appeared around the window - when less experienced contractors (e.g. those who don't specialize in basement and foundation issues) start working below the ground, they can overly disrupt the soil and cause it to shift, resulting in cracks like this.

PowerBraces Spaced for Maximum Wall Security

We space the PowerBraces to ensure total protection of the wall.

Wall Anchors Secured in Soil

We secure the wall anchors with plates in the soil far away from the house, where it isn't shifting. This provides tension needed to tighten the anchors and hopefully straighten the walls.