Foundation Repair Photo Album: Fixing a Bowing, Leaking Basement in Kalkaska, MI

Our customer called with major problems in the home they had recently purchased to be a rental property. Not only was there water coming in through the walls, one of the walls was actually bowing and had visible cracks inside and outside. We installed a waterproofing system including the WaterGuard below-floor drain system and a Super Sump pump, and used Wall Anchors to stabilize the bowing wall.

Water Damage on Bowing Wall

Water leaking in through cracks in the wall led to the damage at the floor/wall joint.

DIY Attempts to Seal Wall Crack Are Ineffective

Hardware stores sell all kinds of sealants that are, frankly, useless. They may be airtight for a brief time, but that doesn't last long, and they're never water tight, so water just continues to leak through the crack and now the sealant as well.

Bowing Wall in Kalkaska

If you look at the space between the wall and the wood framing, the bowing of the wall is obvious with the gradual lessening of space.

Crack in Bowing Block Wall

Cracks in block walls tend to present in "stair step" form, following the mortar between blocks.

Another Attempt at DIY Crack Repair

No matter how much rubberized spray paint, caulk, or anything else you come across is used on a wall crack, it will not seal it permanently.

Exterior Foundation Crack Shows Depth of Problem

When cracks have gone all the way through blocks, it's a good sign that there's a structural rather than superficial problem. As you can see in the next photo, the blocks have actually shifted as the wall bows.

Shifting Blocks in Foundation Wall

This is a red alert situation - the wall of the foundation is actually bowing enough that blocks have started shifting. It isn't long between this and a pile of blocks on the floor of the basement after the wall collapses.

Ineffective Sump Pump in Wet Basement

This sump pump is in rough shape, and there's also nothing in place to actually route the water to it. That makes it difficult to do its job.

Digging the Anchor Site for Wall Anchors

We excavate a spot far enough away from the house that it isn't subject to soil shift, and anchor the wall anchors here in order to be able to tighten them without disrupting soil.

Wall Anchors Secured in Soil

Here's what the anchor side looks like - the cable that extends from this plate goes all the way to the house, and that cable is what is tightened to help straighten the wall.

WaterGuard Installation in Progress

Here, the WaterGuard track has been laid and is covered with drainage stone to help water filter into the system.

Wall Anchor Secured on Bowing Wall

Wall anchor plates are secured to the bowing wall and anchored by a cable to another plate in the soil. Then the cable is gradually tightened to help straighten the wall.