Foundation Repair Photo Album: Stabilizing a Bowing Wall in Hillman, MI

Our customer called in need of a permanent solution for the bowing wall in their basement. The wall had buckled years before and the company they hired to fix it had essentially filled in the area surrounding the wall with sand and called it a day. While this worked for a while, eventually water started seeping through the wall again and it once again started bowing. They had already moved to a new house and wanted to sell this one, but not without fixing the problem for good. We installed PowerBraces inside to stabilize the wall, and used SentrySeal on the outside of the foundation to keep water from entering through the compromised wall. SentrySeal is a thin but strong membrane applied to the outside of a foundation wall in order to waterproof it. It's an extensive process due to excavation needs, but it's worth it.

Cracks in Exterior of Foundation

The cracks in this foundation go all the way through the walls, indicating severe instability.

Closeup of DIY Fix Attempt

Here, you can see the remnants of what is likely a rubberized paint - this is often suggested by people who don't know any better as a way to seal wall cracks against water and reinforce weak points in the wall. But water is stronger and will eventually break through such attempts.

Visible Cracks Between Windows

It's very likely that whoever installed these basement windows was not familiar with below-grade work - that is, below the ground - which is why the wall with the windows is the one most affected by soil pressure.

Huge Wall Crack in Bowing Basement Wall

The breadth of the crack in this wall is insane - it's amazing that the wall is still standing. Note the evidence of some DIY attempt to seal it off from water, which clearly didn't work.

Wooden Beams Show Degree of Bowing Wall

These beams are installed floor to ceiling, but this one doesn't touch the joist or the subfloor, which shows how off-kilter the wall is.

Deep Excavation Needed for Sentry Seal

As shown by one of our crew members standing in the hole, quite a bit of excavation is needed in order to reach the bottom of the foundation.

SentrySeal Provides External Waterproofing

While we usually install waterproofing systems inside the basement, SentrySeal is one of our less common external methods. The membrane prevents water from entering through walls in the first place, which lessens the chance they'll be weakened and continue to bow.