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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 6:24:31 PM   
FullCircle


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quote:

ORIGINAL: needsadvice
i know is strange thing to post here, but i come to this site only pretty much....anyways wondering if anyone knows anything about bowing basement wall and what is best permanent and cost effective way to fix? i have heard everything from braces to digging up all around it from the outside and replacing the wall. it is a corner of the basement, bowed out almost 4 inches i think. is no apperent sinking of foundation though. i am wondering how they determine what caused it whether it is just water or???... any advice or comments from anyone who has experienced this or esp someone who does this for a living(i can dream right *grin*) would be soo very much appreciated i want to get his fixed so i can rent it out and find a 24/7 situation and become a slave, so am very ready to get it fixed and get the  ball rolling   thanks everone 


You need to give details of the type of wall construction.

If your foundations had been sinking it wouldn't have caused bowing but cracks. Settlement isn't a problem but differential settlement is.

If your wall has a plaster finish are you sure it isn’t only the plaster that is coming away from the wall? This is quite common.

Have you cut down any trees recently?

Have you added any additional load directly above the walls?

Is your soil clayey if so swelling can occur which affects shallow foundations. If you have recently cut down trees it may be that the water that is normally taken up by the root system has no where to go now.

Consider these things.




< Message edited by FullCircle -- 4/20/2008 6:25:25 PM >

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 6:28:53 PM   
needsadvice


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Status: offline 		yes i know it not sinking, and no trees have been cut down either. i mean i want to do a long term fix not  band aid it but i dont want be ripped of either   and  no it is bowing out, it is the actual wall

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 6:29:03 PM   
ForBabyGirl123


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Status: offline 		The secret thing is there is only about  $500  material  ..but lots of hand work.. And most guys charge for sweat...lol

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 6:32:23 PM   
Griswold


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quote:

ORIGINAL: needsadvice

well it is bowed inward about waste high, no trees near it, not at bottom of hill or anything, i think is lot of clay in kansas area-maybe is from expansion from the cold winter--is in russell kansas 
so can i hire a person to come out with their backhoe and work with a contractor so it is less per hr or does the company doing the actual work usually require that they do the digging as well?


Well. knowing that this is America and you can hire a contractor with or without a backhoe, I'd say either is an option...but as others have suggested...get a knowledgeable contractor out there and get some good advice.

My guess is, with the right data, if you know a couple of strong backs, with a few good hydrolic jacks and a couple cases of beer (and the right information), you can very likely solve the problem inhouse.

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 6:42:05 PM   
FullCircle


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quote:

ORIGINAL: needsadvice
yes i know it not sinking, and no trees have been cut down either. i mean i want to do a long term fix not  band aid it but i dont want be ripped of either   and  no it is bowing out, it is the actual wall




Three things it can logically be.

1. Additional force from below from ground heave
2. Additional force from above from additional loading such as heavy furniture, putting things into storage etc.
3. Materials.

The problem is more likely to be due to new forces that have occurred recently depending on how long you have noticed the problem.

If it is a timber structure dampness will lead to bowing, you'd probably also have some kind of wood rot if the timber has been exposed to continuous wet/dry cycles. I'm speculating because I don't know what the wall is made out of.

You need someone to survey it, get three quotes for the work and you'll have a better idea what the realistic price should be.


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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 6:45:56 PM   
needsadvice


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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 6:47:32 PM   
FullCircle


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Status: offline 		That won't bow due to dampness in my opinion, has it got any cracking?

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 6:50:36 PM   
needsadvice


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Status: offline 		no not really is separating from beying bowed in it seems-it cant be caused from water pressure or from soil expansion?

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 6:58:09 PM   
FullCircle


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Status: offline 		Concrete would not be affected in that way unless it was very slender. It is definitely concrete and not masonry?

If it is definitely concrete you need to consider if new loads have been added recently. Can you see any rust marks from the reinforcement?

I can tell you the failure mechanism but I just can’t understand how it would be occurring in a domestic structure considering the design strength of R.C. Concrete.


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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 7:00:45 PM   
needsadvice


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Status: offline 		oh maybe is masonry then. the house was built in the 40s or 50's im not even sure.

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 7:04:04 PM   
FullCircle


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Status: offline 		Masonry is bricks very easy to spot the difference.

Concrete is very weak in tension hence the need to use reinforcement to give it composite strength qualities.

I can't really understand how the concrete would curve and there would be no tension cracks on the tension side.


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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 7:05:48 PM   
needsadvice


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Status: offline 		well it is concrete blocks i thought

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 7:07:29 PM   
OrionTheWolf


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Status: offline 		You need an engineer to determine if the structual integrity is sound, and if the bow will get worse or cause problems. It could have been where their form bowed out some and the wall is thicker there.

Edited to add: If it is concrete block then the wall needs to be dug around and replaced. Check local building codes for what they will allow. If you plan on staying in the house for a long time, then choose what you wish, if short term then weigh cost to possible sale price.


quote:

ORIGINAL: needsadvice

i know is strange thing to post here, but i come to this site only pretty much....anyways wondering if anyone knows anything about bowing basement wall and what is best permanent and cost effective way to fix? i have heard everything from braces to digging up all around it from the outside and replacing the wall. it is a corner of the basement, bowed out almost 4 inches i think. is no apperent sinking of foundation though. i am wondering how they determine what caused it whether it is just water or???... any advice or comments from anyone who has experienced this or esp someone who does this for a living(i can dream right *grin*) would be soo very much appreciated i want to get his fixed so i can rent it out and find a 24/7 situation and become a slave, so am very ready to get it fixed and get the  ball rolling   thanks everone 


< Message edited by OrionTheWolf -- 4/20/2008 7:08:47 PM >

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 7:10:55 PM   
FullCircle


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Status: offline 		If it is masonry then what are the mortar bed joints like? If some of the mortar has been washed away or fallen out it can lead to what you suggest I suppose. Mortar bed joint failure is rare. It’s normally a case of restraining the wall and re-pointing the mortar to fix it. I don’t think the curvature can be fully taken out unless the wall is rebuilt and that may be the only safe option if the curvature is bad to the extent you notice it from a distance.

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 7:13:35 PM   
FullCircle


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Status: offline 		One thing to do for sure get more than one quote for the work to compare!

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 7:18:35 PM   
needsadvice


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Status: offline 		so if its that the wall could be fixed from inside?

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/20/2008 9:54:07 PM   
OrionTheWolf


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Status: offline 		It depends on what exactly is wrong with the wall and what is causing it. My recent encounter with a cracked cement basement wall, taught me to not take short cuts and just do it.

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/21/2008 4:28:18 AM   
FullCircle


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quote:

ORIGINAL: needsadvice
so if its that the wall could be fixed from inside?


If it is an earth retaining wall you need to relieve the active pressure. I was under the impression it was a freestanding wall with no lateral earth pressure. You should maybe look into sheet piling as a remedial option. If the engineer suspects it is caused by water pressure he may suggest digging a trench in front of the wall and refilling it with a granular fill so that the water is able to seep away around the house profile. It really depends on the layout. In any case the wall will probably have to be repaired somehow. If you have recently tanked the basement it could have lead to an increase in pressure on the outside as normally the water may have seeped through and into the ground water table that way. Many possibilities exist. A survey needs to be done, I can only tell you what it could be and there is no point me listing a number of things and worrying you with things it might not be.

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/21/2008 8:41:33 AM   
BOUNTYHUNTER


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Status: offline 		ITS not  much that can be done with a concrete wall that is bowing inward from outside pressure.If you use a jack to push on it will enviable cause more damage then the fix,You can replace that section of wall with some hard work and an aching back...with a concrete saw remove that small section and repour,,That what I would do if I wanted to sell the place....its the first place that most buyer want to see it the basement...bounty

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RE: need advice about bowing basement wall - 4/21/2008 9:07:34 AM   
DDraigeuraid


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Status: offline 		na, I have done exactly what you are describing over in Topeka a number of years ago.  What we did was jack up the house on that corner.  It only has to go up about 1/2 inch.  Dug out the dirt on the outside with a backhoe, pulled down the walls that were bowed fro the inside, poured a new footer at the bottom, then re'layed the block.  Get new block, it isn't worth it to try to clean the old.  Backfill around the outside with gravel that will help it drain, with maybe a foot of topsoil?

Don't believe the one who said close to two grand and 3 days.  More like 7-10 days, and don't be surprised if it is closer to 10k.

You need a LOCAL contractor.  Call your local lumberyard and or concrete plant for recommendations of contractors.

Dragon

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