Failed Foundation & Bowing Walls in Joppa, MD

Monday, April 9th, 2018 by Peter Westera

Challenge

This basement had some serious problems in the basement. First, there were serious foundation problems. The front wall was cracked, bowing, and tipping inwards. The side wall was not as bad but was also showing signs of bowing. There was also a serious problem with mold on the back of the paneling and on the studs.

The customer was trying to sell the home, and the problems where discovered during the home inspection. The more paneling the inspector removed, the more issues where discovered.

This home was in serious trouble and needed repairs. The home owner and her realtor contacted an engineer who recommended Basement Systems USA, Inc.

Our inspection revealed that the foundation was made of 12" cinder block. The front wall was tipping inward approximately 3" and was cracked in several places. There was a concrete slab front porch on the house. The customer also had a drainage system installed some years ago to waterproof the basement. This drainage was installed with a large opening in the floor (French Drain gap) behind the paneling. This gap was causing excessive moisture evaporation from under floor and caused mold to form on the back of the paneling and studs.

Solution

The customer called the right company. Not only do e specialize in foundation repair, we are also certified mold Remediators and basement Waterproofers.

The left side of the front wall was the worst and needed GeoLock Wall Anchors to be installed. GeoLock Lock Anchors are made of galvanized steel so they will not rust, and are guaranteed for 25 years. The Anchors act as a dead-man system with an exterior anchor plate and an interior plate, connected together by a 9’ threaded rod. Interior bolts can be tightened to pull the wall back and stabilize the foundation.

The right side of the front wall was not as bad but still showed bad cracks and bowing. Since the front porch was covering that side of the wall, we could not us the GeoLock wall anchors system there. Instead, we used the PowerBrace system. PowerBrace are galvanized steel beams that have the ability to be torqued creating reverse pressure. PowerBraces are also guaranteed for 25 years.

On the side wall, we were able to use CarbonArmor to stabilize that wall. Carbon Armor is a product that will prevent the wall from further bowing by adhering carbon strips to the wall. The carbon is 9 times stronger than steel in tensile strength and is guaranteed for 25 years against further bowing.

We also had to remove the bottom of the moldy paneling and do mold remediation using MoldX2. But mold remediation is useless unless you remove the source of the moisture, so we closed up the French Drain gap with cement. We also did not use organic drywall or paneling to replace the removed walls. Instead, we use the TBF Everlast Wall System. Everlast Wall are non-organic and guaranteed for 50 years against mold and water damage.

The job went very well and looks great. The house is back on the market and ready to be sold. All warranties are transferable.