Have you noticed that your basement wall is bowing or bulging? This is a sign of foundation damage, and you’ll need to fix it as soon as possible.
A foundation repair company like United Structural Systems of Illinois, Inc. has many tools and methods to repair any type of issue.
Keep reading below to learn about how we can fix your foundation walls and whether you’ll need wall stabilization vs. realignment.
Helical Tie-Back Anchor Installation
One of our common methods for fixing basement or foundation walls is to install helical tie-back anchors.
These long anchors are similar to helical piers or piles. They’re installed by rotating the anchor into the external soil of the foundation until the proper depth and torque are reached.
USS has installed these anchors in residential homes, commercial projects like factories or stores, and even in high schools across Illinois.
Helical Tie-back Anchors can be used to stabilize or realign a foundation wall. These walls begin to bow or bulge as a result of hydrostatic pressure, unsuitable ground soil, or failing drainage systems.
Stabilizing Your Foundation Wall
For wall stabilization, our team will secure the foundation wall with helical tie-back anchors at its current position.
Our repair team will evaluate your basement wall to determine the severity of the deflection or bowing. If they observe that the damage is not too extreme, they’ll recommend wall stabilization.
In this case, there is no risk of damage to the home. The sill plate has not been damaged, and securing the wall in place at the time of repair will prevent any structural failure.
It’s important to note that the wall will be permanently stabilized after the anchors are installed.
When We Need to Do a Realignment
Now, if the repair team determines that the foundation damage is extreme, they will recommend realignment.
The wall has likely suffered inward movement from lateral earth pressure, and it has moved 3 inches or more. Or, it’s experiencing structural failure and realignment is the only option.
Our team will have to excavate all of the soil from around the bowing wall. This removes all the pressure. From the interior, a series of temporary hydraulic jacks will be installed with temporary beams under the floor joists approximately 4 feet from the damaged wall.
We will support part of the home’s weight and install the helical tie-back anchor system. After the system is installed, we’ll use a tightening nut system on the interior wall plate to push the wall out. Tightening continues until the wall is in its original position.
The tie-backs are locked and secured once the wall is plumb and level. A waterproofing membrane will be applied to the wall to prevent any seepage. We’ll also install any other items like a drain tile system or sump pump before filling the soil back against the wall.
Grading is done on the exterior walls during the backfilling. And the last step is to release the weight of the home back onto the foundation wall.
Wall Stabilization vs. Realignment
Whether you need foundation wall stabilization vs. realignment all depends on the severity of the bowing or bulging. Any wall movement under 2 inches is typically stabilized, while anything over 2 inches will need to be realigned.
USS has 26 years of experience installing foundation helical tie-back anchors for residential or commercial projects.
Call us today at 847-382-2882 if you have any questions about foundation repair, or if you’d like to schedule a free consultation.
