Bowing & Buckling Foundation Walls In Iowa

Identifying & repairing issues related to foundation wall failure

Wall braces can repair many bowing wall problems. I-beams stabilize walls and can be tightened to straighten them.

The Problem:

Your foundation walls are bowing, buckling or are showing signs of inward movement.

Telltale Signs:

• Horizontal or stair-step cracking along the foundation walls
• Diagonal cracking at corners of poured concrete foundation walls
• Inward bowing or bulging along the walls
• Walls sliding inwards on the bottom
• Walls leaning in at the top
• Wet, clay soils around the home coupled with damaged walls
• Expansive clay soils present around the structure

How to Fix It:

At Midwest Foundation Repair, we recommend installing the PowerBrace™ Wall System. This system consists of steel I-beams installed in a non-invasive manner that stabilize and straighten bowing walls.

Signs of bowing foundation walls

Foundation walls move inward primarily due to expansive soils and hydrostatic pressure on the walls from outside. However, foundation walls may also crack due to many other outside causes, including foundation settlement. Our foundation experts will accurately identify the cause of your home's foundation problems.

Below are images of several foundations that are showing damage from hydrostatic pressure and expansive soils outside the structure.

(Click each photo to enlarge.)

What Causes Cracked & Bowing Foundation Walls?

How Does Moisture Affect Clay Soils?

These two clay samples started out exactly the same in size, weight, and composition. The sample on the right was allowed to dry out, while the one on the left we kept moist.

If a small sample of clay can gain this much volume when it gets wet, just imagine how dramatic the changes are in the soil around your home!

The soils around your home can put enormous pressure on foundation walls. The amount of pressure they exert depends on four factors:

1. The type of soil around the foundation
2. The amount of moisture in the soil
3. How far underground the foundation is
4. The temperature conditions

There's constant pressure on your foundation walls from the outside, but the only thing holding up your foundation wall is the wall itself. Hydrostatic pressure, expansive clay soil, and frost can all exert enough pressure to cause walls to lean or even collapse.

Gutters and downspouts can also contribute significantly to foundation problems by allowing large volumes of water to collect in the soil around your structure.

If roof runoff is not directed away from your foundation, the soil around the foundation will become heavier and more expansive as it's saturated with water.

If you would like a free foundation wall repair quote for your home, call or e-mail us today!

Wall braces are ideal for bowing walls

Saving a wall with the PowerBrace™ system. This innovative system stabilizes bowing walls and can even straighten walls over time.

The PowerBrace™ System

The PowerBrace™ is a patented foundation wall repair system designed to stabilize failing basement walls and also allow for potential straightening over time.

This product is a great option when access to the yard outside of the home is not possible and bowing, buckling wall problems need to be solved.

The PowerBrace™ is an I-beam system that has several advantages over traditional "old school" systems.

This includes its rust-resistant zinc coating and a design that makes it possible not only to stabilize bowing walls, but also to straighten these walls over a period of time.

Installation of a PowerBrace™ system can be conducted quickly in your home, with no disruption to your lawn, gardens, foliage, or other landscaping.

More about The Powerbrace™ System.

What NOT To Do

A foundation repair is a big job -- something you definitely only want to do once! When you're repairing your foundation, beware of expensive options that will not actually fix your problem -- and watch out for quick solutions that just don't work.

Wasting time and money with total foundation replacement.

This extreme repair option damages the yard and requires the house to be placed on temporary supports. It's also expensive and time-consuming.

Total Foundation Replacement:

To undertake a job like this, you have to excavate the entire perimeter of your foundation -- including gardens, shrubbery, sidewalks, and other landscaping.

Next, the house is jacked up, and the floor slab and foundation walls are removed. Finally, the foundation is rebuilt, the house is repositioned and the soil is replaced.

This solution is extremely disruptive, expensive, and time-consuming. What's worse, it's not really addressing the issue that caused the damage in the first place!

Your foundation isn't the problem -- the soil is! When you're done building that brand new foundation, you can count on the soil to press just as hard on the new walls. This will cause them to be damaged -- just like it did to the ones that preceded them.

If you're going to invest money in repairing your foundation, choose the solution that is not disruptive and will be warrantied for 25 years.

Looking For Foundation Wall Repair Experts In Iowa?

At Midwest Foundation Repair, we're proud to provide warrantied solutions that will permanently solve issues with bowing, buckling foundation walls.

We provide free, no-obligation foundation wall repair estimates to homeowners throughout our Iowa service area. Each estimate is made in person, on site, and is presented in writing.

Our service area includes Waterloo, Ames, Des Moines, and nearby areas such as Urbandale, Ankeny, Marshalltown, West Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Cedar Falls, Ottumwa. Call or e-mail us today!

Looking for a price? Get a no cost, no obligation free estimate.