Learn the Signs of Bowing Walls
When your home’s foundation begins to fail, one of the most obvious signs is bowing walls. Basement walls that appear to be leaning inward indicate a serious foundation problem. The soil around your home that becomes overly saturated with water can become susceptible to hydrostatic pressure. When this happens, foundation walls buckle under the force and create other forms of damage in your home. If you see any of these symptoms, it’s imperative that you get a professional diagnosis as soon as possible:
- “Stair-step” foundation wall cracks
- Diagonal foundation wall cracks
- Walls leaning in at the top or bottom
- Walls bulging inward
Why Bowing Walls Happen
Bowing walls, or walls that are being pushed inward, happen because of two soil-related reasons: expansive soils and hydrostatic pressure.
Expansive Soils
Because soil contains minerals like clay, they are capable of absorbing water. After prolonged exposure to rains, floods, or improper drainage, the soil around your home will eventually increase in volume and expand. This excessive swelling puts pressure on your foundation walls, causing them to crack and bow. When the shifting from swelling soils is significant enough, even the upper floors of your home will become damaged.
Hydrostatic Pressure
Hydrostatic pressure is the result of immense water volumes that cause extra weight around your home’s foundation. When water pools close to the bottom of your home in the soil, it can put tens of thousands of pounds of pressure on your basement walls This foundation problem can seriously weaken the support your home needs to maintain its structural integrity.
Our Bowing Wall Repair Solutions
To determine which wall repair solution is right for your home’s unique foundation problems, our repair experts need to diagnose the cause. All of our foundation wall repair systems work to permanently stabilize and straighten your foundation walls when they buckle or bow under outside pressure. Each of our systems features:
- Fast, less invasive installations
- Immediate results
- Competitive warranties
- Permanent stabilization
The Real Dirt on Foundation Problems
Foundation problems happen for four unavoidable reasons: overly dry soil, oversaturated soil, poorly compacted soil, and the type of soil around your home. Each of these, or a combination of these, leads to things like foundation settlement, foundation heave, and a multitude of other symptoms that happen due to structural problems.
Free Professional Inspections in Montana and Wyoming
If you notice bowing walls in your home, it’s time to call an expert. At Yellowstone Structural Systems, our team is specially trained to identify specific foundation issues and solve them with the best possible techniques and products on the market.