What Causes Foundation Walls To Fail?
Understanding potential threats to your foundation walls allows you to prevent damage in the future. The first thing to remember is your foundation's role in protecting your home. It has two main jobs: to hold the weight of the house and to hold back the soil surrounding your foundation.
The soils surrounding your foundation change daily with the elements. Most of these changes are due to moisture affecting the stability of the foundation walls. Some soils swell and shrink with the changes in the humidity level, creating extra pressure on your home foundation walls. Even if you don’t have soils that change with the elements, water still builds up around it, causing hydrostatic pressure on your foundation walls.
Other elements that affect the pressure on your foundation walls include extended periods of drought or heavy rain, new irrigation systems and freezing water since ice is about 10% larger than water.
You can find more information about how to prevent your foundation walls from failing by watching our “Ask an Engineer” video below.
Potential Threats To Your Foundation Walls
Protecting your foundation walls is only possible if you are aware of potential threats. Educating yourself about these dangers gives you the upper hand in preventing damage to your foundation walls. Below are the most common threats to your foundation walls.
Droughts
When the soil surrounding your foundation walls lacks moisture, the clay dries out and begins to shrink. The shrinking clay creates pockets, allowing your foundation walls to settle into these newly created spaces.
Excessive Rain
The opposite effect of droughts occurs when excessive rain and water build up. Sandy soils have fewer water issues, while clay soils hold a significant amount of water, creating a vulnerable environment. The excessive moisture leaves your soil weak and incapable of supporting foundation walls.
New Irrigation Systems
Adding a new irrigation system is a potential threat to your foundation walls. It’s essential to check for leaks and drainage issues and to ensure you’re not overwatering. The excess moisture leaves your foundation walls vulnerable to such leakage.
Freezing Water
Moisture in the soil can freeze during winter and threaten foundation walls. Preventing excess moisture accumulation is the best way to avoid freezing water around foundation walls. Foundation Supportworks offers reliable solutions to stabilize foundation walls, prevent damage, and correct existing issues.
How To Prevent Foundation Walls From Failing
Foundation Supportworks offers many products to help protect your foundation walls for years to come. Depending on the issues your foundation walls are experiencing, we’re sure to have a solution for you.
GeoLock® Anchors
Stabilized, durable anchors are embedded into stable soil away from your foundation walls. This supports your foundation walls, often shifting them back into their original positions over time, and permanently stabilizing them from shifting in the future. This solution is ideal for permanently stabilizing foundation walls and possibly correcting them back to their original positions.
EverBrace®
The EverBrace Wall Restoration System repairs your failing foundation walls by adding steel corrugated panels and steel beams to strengthen the existing structure. Then, a specialized foam is injected behind the steel panels to fill the void, shifting the weight from the failing walls to the new support system. As a result, the EverBrace system gives homeowners the security of a new foundation without the price tag. Use the EverBrace system to restore bowed, cracked, or buckled walls.
CarbonArmor®
Stabilize your home’s foundation walls with CarbonArmor, which features fiber-reinforced polymers ten times stronger than steel. Armorlock brackets secure the CarbonArmor straps to floor joints, creating a non-invasive solution for bowing or leaning foundation walls. Homeowners use the CarbonArmor system for minimal disturbance to their homes and no disturbance to their lawns or landscaping.
PowerBrace™
The PowerBrace system is comprised of zinc-plated beams fitted to your unique basement walls and anchored to the foundation floor with brackets. Over time, they tighten and potentially undo any damage from failing foundation walls. This solution is noninvasive, corrosion resistant and doesn’t require digging or disrupting your lawn, the ideal solution to correct bowing or buckling walls.
Helical Anchors
Permanently stabilize your home’s basement walls with Helical Anchors that are driven laterally into stable, undisturbed soil. This solution is ideal for areas where digging outside isn’t possible due to tight property lines or hilly areas surrounding the home. Helical anchors are screwed into stable soil with mechanical equipment. Foundation Supportworks uses a unique helix plate, allowing the installer to know when an anchor is driven far enough out to find qualified soil to stabilize the basement wall. This solution is ideal for minimal disturbance and a quick installation.
Fix Your Failing Foundation Walls with Foundation Supportworks
Schedule a free estimate today to learn how our products give you peace of mind, keeping your foundation walls from failing.