Foundation Repair Photo Album: Carbon Armor Strengthens Traverse City, MI Basement Walls

Our customer called while preparing to sell his home, because three of the four walls were bowed. There were no leaks and the cracks were superficial, but he still recognized that it was important to do something before the problem progressed. We used Carbon Armor straps to secure and strengthen the walls. The Carbon Armor system works by utilizing a special epoxy resin to absorb the pressure from the outside soil (which is what causes the bowing in the first place). It's 10x stronger than steel and specifically designed for basement walls.

Bowed Wall in Traverse City, MI Basement

While the walls in this basement were bowed, they weren't yet in the 'danger zone' that precludes wall failure, and they weren't causing any water issues. This means that we were able to reinforce them rather than excavating the soil outside to install braces and anchors.

Stair Step Crack Indicative of Bowing Wall

The stair step crack in this foundation's block wall is a telltale sign of outside pressure on the wall. This happens when soil expands and shifts.

Close-up of Stair Step Crack

Cracks like this are almost always a sign of bowing or leaning walls resulting from soil pressure outside. When the soil expands and contracts as temperatures outside change, it can affect vulnerable foundation walls.

Bowing Wall Noticeable at Pipe

The bowing of this wall is noticeable when you look at it in relation to the pipe. The further up on the wall you look, the less distance there is between the pipe and the wall.

Horizontal Wall Crack at Bowed Point

This crack is at the most bowed point in the wall, which is more visible in the next photo. None of the wall cracks were leaking, which is a good sign, but is also a harbinger of future trouble if left untreated.

Using a Level to Gauge Wall Problems

The level is braced against the outermost spot on the wall, which allows you to see the bowing issue by measuring the gap between the top of the wall and the level.

Level Shows Bowing in Basement Wall

It can be difficult to eyeball a bowing or leaning wall, but when you bring a level into play it all becomes clear. Note the gap between the top and bottom of the wall and the level.

Ayers Crew Takes Extra Care

We're always conscientious to protect as much of your home and basement as possible. Here, we've draped off the center portion of the basement, since we're only working on the walls, and added an extra layer of protection around the HVAC.

Protecting Your Home from Basement Work

We go the extra mile to ensure that your home is as protected as possible. To finish off the draping, we cover the entry to the basement entirely to minimize dust travel.

Crew Preps Basement Walls for Carbon Armor Application

One of our production crew members sands the paint off of the wall to prepare it for Carbon Armor application.

Wall Prep for Carbon Armor Straps

In order to apply the epoxy for the straps, all finishes must be removed from the wall in the application area. This wall needed a lot of reinforcement, obviously.

Prepped Wall Ready for Carbon Armor

With the location of each strap prepared, the wall is ready for the epoxy application.

Bracket for Extra Reinforcement in Place

We tie the Carbon Armor straps into pre-positioned brackets for extra reinforcement.

Carbon Armor Straps in Place

After the straps are placed on the first coat of epoxy resin, another coat is applied on top of the strap for extra strength.

Carbon Armor Reinforces Traverse City, MI Basement Walls

Extra straps are positioned horizontally to reinforce the more advanced cracks.

Carbon Armor Straps in Tight Situations

One of the hidden benefits of Carbon Armor straps over other reinforcement options is the ability to install them around basement fixtures with little disturbance.