Bulging basement wall needs to be fixed. Not sure about method foundation company suggested.
BasementBroke9891
| Posted in General Discussion on
There is only one company in my area that does foundation work. My basement wall is bulging out. Likely exacerbated by recent extreme flooding.
Their solution is to put two columns of 16″x16″ rebar and concrete next to the wall (the height of the wall). The rebar will be drilled into the floor. They will not be attached to the ceiling. It will cost $1500.
I can’t figure it if this is a usual method. Most of what I see is carbon fiber straps and anchors.
Has anyone used this method? Are there other methods I should look ask about?
Replies
A. They are basically buttressing the wall.
B. Who calculated the solution? Structural engineer?
C. How thick is the slab? In my experience, the column rebar needs to be integrated with the floor slab rebar and the floor slab needs to be 12" thick.
D. The solution still doesn't address the cause. That's where my focus would be directed. Redirect the water.
Frankie
The company calculated it. There is not a structural engineer in my area. It would be two slabs that are 16in by 16in.
I’ve heard of others doing it, but not sure how successful it was. It sounds like they’re looking out for your wallet by going with the cheapest method. It might stop the bowing, but not any existing water intrusion. There are a few routes you can go with this, depending on your goal and budget. If you just want to stop movement, don’t want to spend a lot, and don’t care about water intrusion, carbon fiber straps would be a similar alternative. You can probably do those yourself. If you want to actually want to put the wall back to level and waterproof, you would probably want to use something like gorilla braces to slowly crank the wall level. That is, after you have excavated the outside to remove what likely is expansive clay soil that caused the bow to begin with, repair mortar cracks, and any other waterproofing steps you want to take. That will fix your wall and water intrusion, but will be more cost and effort.