Serving Greater South Bend, St Joseph, Elkhart, South Bend
Have you noticed your basement walls moving inward? Are there lateral or horizontal cracks along your basement slab or block walls? By the time you first notice bowing or buckling in your foundation walls, it's likely that the problem has been present for a long time. Bowing foundations are often caused by a force called hydrostatic pressure.
Hydrostatic pressure occurs when water presses against your basement walls with more force than the walls can withstand, causing them to move inwards. Other forces, such as expansive clays and frost, are also common causes for soil expansion that can lead to bowing basement walls and foundation wall damage.
Cracking, bowing, and buckling foundation walls are a serious problem that should be addressed right away.
When you choose to restore your bowing foundation walls, bear in mind that removing and replacing the foundation is by no means the only foundation repair option available. In fact, it's usually not the best one! If you'd like a free foundation inspection and repair quote, contact Nova Basement Systems of Indiana and Michigan today! We serve Elkhart, South Bend, St Joseph Goshen, Mishawaka, La Porte, Benton Harbor, New Buffalo, Logansport, Niles, Rensselaer, Bridgman , Knox, Sawyer , Buchananand many Indiana and Michigan areas nearby.
"The condition will not stabilize. It's a question of how much time remains."
-Chief Appraiser, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Horizontal cracks, wall shear, buckling, and bowing foundation walls with severe structural damage will only get worse as time progresses. In unusual cases, the only way to repair this problem is to completely remove and rebuild a home foundation.
The process begins with your yard. Before replacing the foundation, the former foundation must be dug out and removed. All landscaping around the foundation, such as walkways, steps, gardens, foliage, and other landscaping along the foundation will need to be taken up, and the soil will be heaped in mounds around the house.
Temporary supports will keep your house raised while the foundation walls are rebuilt. When the work is finally completed, the landscaping and dirt can be returned, and a year later, the soil will need to be regraded.
Rebuilding a foundation wall is expensive, invasive, time-consuming, and disruptive to your home.
Additionally, foundation replacement merely replaces the damaged foundation with another one- which can fail in turn over time. Replacing a foundation wall with a new one should only be done when it's deemed that repair is not a good option.
What is Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber is now a proven, popular alternative to steel reinforcing structural substrates in residential and commercial applications. Carbon fiber is highly effective at adding tensile strength to concrete blocks and poured walls. It is superior to steel since it is stronger and non-corrosive. It can also be bonded to the surface of concrete structures at any time to stop bowing and cracking. This allows limitless applications for new constructions, repair, retrofit, and seismic upgrades.
Studies conducted over the last 20 years confirm that carbon fiber is a strong, durable and safe product. Carbon fiber does not rust, nor is it susceptible to alkali deterioration. Once carbon fiber is encapsulated in any epoxy matrix, strength is locked in, it will not stretch, creep, or bend over time.
Fortress Carbon Fiber Stabilization System
"Low-Pressure Crack Injection is a superiormethod for repairing leaking wall cracks."
Top 3 Reasons Why Concrete Cracks
1 - Moisture can penetrate into a tiny break in concrete and due to freezing and thawing can expand into a crack that is leaking. |
2 - As foundations stabilize, any movement can cause rigid concrete to separate at these tiny breaks, then enlarging to water- |
3 - Ground remains unstable, maintaining a stress on con-crete sufficient to cause crack. |
First we grind at the surface of the wall to provide a good clean bond for our epoxies.Ports are inserted into crack from bottom to top in one foot intervals. A preliminary epoxy is applied to hold the ports in place. A special low viscosity epoxy is pressure injected throughout the crack, beginning with the lowest port and working upwards. This epoxy, which is about the same consistency as water, travels through the crack from inside to out and forms a concrete weld. The final stage involves cutting the ports flush to the wall and applying the last epoxy. The entire process can take from 1 to 3 visits to accomplish depending upon conditions. Epoxy Crack Injections are supported by a lifetime warranty which is transferable with the sale of your home. This is an added investment to your home.
The Foundation Supportworks Wall Anchor System, provided by Nova Basement Systems, offers a reliable and solid foundation repair system for the state of Indiana and Michigan. Foundation Supportworks Wall Anchors include three main components: an interior wall plate, a connecting steel rod, and an exterior earth anchoring system. Working together, they not only brace and reinforce the foundation wall, they're able to counteract the pressure being pushed against the wall and return the wall to a straighter position.
To install a Foundation Supportworks foundation anchor, a small area of lawn is removed, and the space underneath is excavated. An anchor is placed inside the hole, and a small hole is created in the foundation wall from the inside. The steel rod- which has no corkscrew end- is pushed through the earth to where the anchor is placed outside. The anchor is fixed on the rod, and the earth is returned and packed tight. Lastly, a wall plate is mounted on the steel rod on the inside of the foundation.
The wall plate is tightened against the wall, and this tightening is repeated over time. Periodic retightening of the wall plate against foundation wall has the potential to pull the wall back to its original position. Additionally, foundation anchors are cost-effective and can usually install in a single day. Year-round installation is possible if the weather permits, and the job can be completed with minimal yard disruption and with no need to replace the foundation.
Your system design specialist will be able to help you choose which foundation wall anchor solution is best for your home.
If your issue is foundation settlement or a damaged crawl space, there are many other options that you should consider. If you live in Indiana or Michigan including the St Joseph, Elkhart, South Bend, Monticello, Rochester, Berrien Springs, Nappanee, Osceola, [ minor cities 3] area and foundation anchors are a solution you're interested in, click here for a free foundation wall repair quote! Otherwise, learn more about crawl space repair.
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