sirvoluble -> RE: need advice about bowing basement wall (4/21/2008 12:03:48 PM)
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I'm a PE and I agree with Padriag, call a liscenced professional with a liability insurance bond to come out and estimate the work, jack it up, reinforce it, and make sure the house down't collapse down on you and your family. The tree idea is not a good one, as root intrusion can shatter sewer tile, crush cinder block, and and further aggrevate the situation. Long term, divert the water that is likely causing this away from your foundation - but a good contractor will do that, as part of the structural repair. If the bowing gets any worse than 4 inches, I would not recommend remaining in the house. Once that corner collapses, depending on what kind of construction the home is framed in, there's no telling how unpleasant a roller coaster ride it will be on the way down - and what walls and roof supports could come down suddenly in the process, hopefully without you under them. Some cinder block is only 8 inches wide, while others can be a foot wide. 4 inches of buckling is not benign. 6 inches of buckling, you'll be lucky it is still up, and 8 inches of buckling.... won't last. I hope that helps. Let me know what you finally end up doing to mitigate the issue. SV
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