Slightly Bowed Basement Wall

You might also notice that your basement walls are bowed.

Slightly bowed basement wall.

The first thing you need to do is tear down anything that covers your basement wall so that you can examine the problem. The most common cause for foundation walls bowing in is saturated clay soils in the backfill. Remove as much of the covering as possible so that you can look at the whole wall. This pressure develops when the soil around your house is saturated with water.

Walls with severe structural damage will show additional horizontal cracks shearing. The situation can develop slowly over many years from the force of water saturated soil pushing against. There are a few likely causes for the horizontal cracks that lead to a basement wall bowing in. Bowing or buckling basement walls rebuilding the foundation wall.

Steel beam foundation reinforcement. These conditions are common in indiana during snow melts and spring rains but can also be caused by poor drainage around your house. One is right after construction of the foundation the contractor could have put the dirt back around the basement walls too soon too fast or without properly bracing the walls first causing a hairline fracture. The soil expands and pushes against your foundation.

To install steel beam foundation support the floor along the foundation walls must. It is more common than you might think for a concrete block foundation wall to bow inward. Most basement foundation walls even if they are brick or block walls can be saved.