Foundation Repair Photo Album: Saving a Collapsing Cabin in Branch Township, MI

Jim called us with bowing walls in his cabin, having been told that the foundation was collapsing and the entire thing needed to be torn down and rebuilt. While this is a potential solution, it's the most disruptive solution, and it's not the only solution. We were able to design a plan to secure and stabilize the foundation using Wall Anchors which allowed us to restore structural integrity to the house without tearing it to the ground.

Common Causes of Bowed Walls

Not every time, but one of the common causes of a bowing wall can be an improperly installed basement window. Anytime you upset the soil, such as excavating for a window, you risk throwing off the pressure in the soil and causing it to shift. This is why we secure the wall anchors in virgin (that is, unexcavated) soil.

Cracks in Foundation Exterior

When a wall is cracked on the inside and outside, it's...well, it's not much of a wall. Here, a block is cracked in half vertically, which threatens the integrity of the wall as blocks are known to pop out.

Crack in Block Wall is a Sign of Bowing

Block walls are especially useful for showing what bowing can do, because the cracks are extremely visible between the blocks. Here, the wall has cracked across the entire width as a result of pressure from the soil outside.

Bowing Wall Threatens Basement

As you can see here, the wall is bowed over two inches. Each time the soil contracts and expands (due to temperature, moisture, and even pressure from above), it will put further pressure on the walls until they fail.

Wall Cracks Throughout Basement

Every wall of this basement was bowing, which is probably why someone suggested tearing it down and starting over. But we don't need to go quite that far - we just need the right solution.

Bowing Wall Secured with Wall Anchors

The severe bow in this wall is secured with wall anchors that will first prevent further bulging, and then hopefully allow the wall to be straightened over time.

Wide Angle of Bowing Wall Shows Extent of Damage

Pulling out to a wider shot shows how wide this wall is, and how big of a problem the bowing has created. We installed anchors around the entire perimeter of the basement to stop and counteract the bowing.

Installing Wall Anchors Around Fixtures

One of the difficult parts of working with basements is that a lot of the nuts and bolts of your house are down there. HVAC, water heaters, washer and dryer, and all of their accompanying pipes and wires and whatnot can make it difficult to install products. BUT, we do this a lot, and we know how to work around it. Here, we installed wall anchors around the washer, dryer, and fuse box.

Wall Anchors Secured in Soil Outside

By securing the anchors in virgin soil, we can provide stability to the walls and prevent further bowing. We can also tighten the system over time to hopefully straighten the walls.