Stabilizing Bowing Walls in Grand Rapids, MI

Friday, September 18th, 2020 by Amanda Waldmann

Challenge

When Mario bought his 1960s Grand Rapids home, he was in a bit of a time crunch due to a work relocation. The home he bought had multiple cracks in the foundation walls. While his top concern was the immediate safety of the house, he and his wife also wanted peace of mind that their home would be safe and stable for years to come.

Upon inspection, system design specialist Jeff discovered that not only were there both vertical and horizontal cracks in the walls, indicating widespread issues, but that the south and east walls were bowing. This put the house at immediate risk of problems related to the loss of foundation wall support, and even wall collapse.

Solution

We have multiple solutions for wall cracks; the solution we recommend depends on a few things. First, the orientation of the crack (vertical, horizontal, stair step) matters, as does whether the wall is poured or block concrete. The severity of the crack and resulting bowing in the wall is the final factor.

We installed PowerBraces on the two actively bowing walls. These steel braces attach to the header and footer in the basement and can be tightened over time, hopefully allowing for straightening of the walls. Whether or not they can be straightened, regular tightening ensures total protection against future bowing and stabilizes the walls.

The other two walls weren’t bowing, and the cracks were less severe, so we used CarbonArmor straps to secure them. CarbonArmor is stronger than steel but can’t be adjusted or tightened once installed, so it’s a better choice for less severe wall cracks or cracked walls that aren’t experiencing any movement.

Mario wanted the peace of mind that his home wouldn’t just be fixed, but would stay safe and stable in the future, and installing these two wall systems in conjunction with one another gave him just that. Regardless of whether you use adjustable PowerBraces or Carbon Armor straps, your walls will be stable and secure and you can rest easy knowing that your foundation - and home - are safe.

Horizontal, vertical, and diagonal cracks spanned all four walls, indicating aggressive settlement.

While hairline vertical cracks can be common due to natural concrete settling after construction, wide cracks like this are indicative of major problems.

PowerBraces were installed on the two bowing walls to stabilize them. Over time, we can tighten the steel braces to hopefully straighten the walls.

Carbon Armor straps are stronger than steel and can be used to stabilize walls. They are a good choice for problems that are caught early, but not always more advanced bowing since they can't be adjusted to straighten the walls.