LEANING WALLS

HOMEFRONT ran a recent piece about Ugly Basement Walls and based on the level of inquiries and reprints, this was a topic of substantial interest. The most frequently asked questions concerned methods of repair when wall damage exceeded our recommended limits. In this and future issues we will describe the most commonly accepted wall repair systems.

PROBLEM --- LEANING WALLS

Basement walls that rotate inward do so because earth and water combine to push against them at a rate that exceeds their design capacity. When this happens, the wall typically splits, then leaks and eventually disconnects from the house. These flaws never get better on their own, and once disconnect happens the wall is unstable and will move even more. There are 2 pretty good fixes for this condition, described here by order of preference:

Helical Tieback -- A modern day version of what your grandfather may have called a dead man. It works by anchoring the wall into the yard much like a big lag bolt spun into the dirt. Installation starts with a 1" hole drilled through the basement wall, into which a ¾" rod is inserted and then a screw-type end piece (helix) gets attached to the outside rod end. The whole assembly is then turned into the earth much like turning a screw into wood. When force required to turn the rod reaches a predetermined number, the helix has twice as much holding power as the force pushing against the wall. I like this system for several reasons. First, because the installer is able validate capacity during installation. Second, it is often possible to progressively bring a crooked wall back into alignment by periodically tightening the plate nut. Finally, with only a flat plate against the inside wall, repairs are not overly obvious and it is easy to finish the basement walls for living space.

Drawing courtesy of Earth Contact Products, Olathe KS

For about half the cost of helical tiebacks, steel I-beam braces mounted against a leaning wall's inside face will stop movement. The beam is potted into the basement floor for bottom support and bolted to floor joists for top support. Beams are shimmed tightly against the wall so it can't move without displacing the entire sub floor – which it won't do. Beam braces are something homeowners with reasonable hand skills can do themselves, however there are several companies that install them at competitive prices and often they put them in for slightly more than you would pay just for materials. Beam braces are unattractive and call attention to the problem so there is a potential for buyers to wrongly assume that the beams represent an unsafe or protracted condition.

Regardless of how you stabilize a leaning wall, when all of the movement is arrested cracks need to be pressure injected with 2-part urethane to keep bugs and water out and major breaks need to be rejoined with a carbon fiber overlay.

Hubbell Power Systems, 210 North Allen, Centralia, MO 65240. Phone: 573-682-5521. Fax: 573-682-8714.
E-mail: hpsliterature@hubbell.com. Web: www.hubbellpowersystems.com