Foundation Repair Case Studies: Foundation Wall Repair Restores Home Value

Tuesday, November 6th, 2018

Challenge

The home was built around the turn of the century with building materials common at that time. The foundation walls were constructed of rubble, stone, and brick, which had started to deteriorate excessively over the home's long life. After more than 40 years of residing in the house, the homeowners decided to sell the home and move to a retirement community. Unfortunately, due to the foundation walls' deteriorating state, potential home buyers were scared to make an offer on the house. The homeowners tried reducing the home price to sell it, but after receiving no offers for more than a year, they decided they needed to remedy the problem. Their initial calls were to two foundation repair contractors who told them the foundation was "too far gone" to fix it with standard repair methods such as anchors, beams or carbon fiber straps. They then contacted a foundation replacement contractor, but the homeowners quickly learned that total foundation replacement would be costly and would not provide a warranty that they could pass on to the new owner. They needed a repair solution that could be completed quickly and economically to finally sell their home.

Solution

Thrasher recommended the Shotcrete Wall Restoration System in conjunction with Geo-Lock™ Wall Anchors to remedy the situation. The Geo-Lock™ anchors were installed along with all four of the home's foundation walls to stabilize the existing walls. Shotcrete was then applied to all four walls, permanently embedding the anchors into the walls and stabilizing the foundation. The restored walls were then smoothed out for a professional, neat and clean look. The installation took less than one week to complete, and the house was immediately placed back on the market. Not only were the shotcrete walls an economical solution to a significant problem, but they also restored property value in the home. The homeowners were able to sell their home within two months of the restoration of their foundation walls, and they received their full asking price!

What Are Possible Causes of Walls Failing?

Hydrostatic pressure from moisture build-up in the soil is the most common cause, but wet clay soils or frost heaving in lower temperatures can also cause foundation walls to give under pressure. A basement wall with these issues can allow mold, infestations and leaks into your basement, leading to unhealthy conditions. Left unaddressed, this can threaten your home's structural integrity. Early symptoms can include drywall or plaster cracks, uneven floors and stuck doors or windows.

Thrasher uses its patented, proven and warrantied Geo-Lock Foundation Wall Anchor System. Built from corrosion-resistant galvanized steel, the system first places an anchor in compact, load-bearing soil in your yard, with a minimum level of disruption. Another anchor is placed at a critical point on your foundation wall, where it is secured in the yard anchor by a steel rod held by an adjusting mechanism on the basement anchor. This immediately prevents further cracking, bowing or buckling. Over time, using the adjustment mechanism returns the wall to its original position, closing cracks and restoring structural integrity to your home.

What is Shotcrete?

The Shot-Lock Shotcrete Wall Restoration System from Supportworks permanently stabilizes foundation walls that have extreme deterioration - nearly to the point of collapse.

When foundation walls are significantly damaged or built with subpar materials like stone, rubble, and brick or clay tiles, the Shot-Lock Shotcrete Restoration System provides a durable and effective solution.

The wall restoration process begins by installing Geo-Lock™ Wall Anchors to stabilize the existing foundation walls. Next, the Shotcrete is applied to the face of the existing wall, embedding the wall anchors into the new shotcrete wall.

Finally, the wall finish is smoothed out, and the work area is cleaned up, leaving you with a stable and completely restored foundation.

The term "shotcrete" probably sounds like concrete that's shot from a gun to someone unfamiliar with concrete technology. That's a reasonably accurate description of a repair process that can transform a cracked, badly damaged foundation wall into a wall that's strong, smooth and attractive.

Shotcrete is a fiber-reinforced mortar mixture designed to be pumped through a hose and sprayed against a wall or other surface at high pressure. Due to the increased force used to adhere the material to the wall, Shotcrete undergoes a significant compaction process during installation that produces more than double the strength of regular concrete.

Faster, Less Disruptive, and More Affordable Than Other Techniques

Integrating Shotcrete with other wall repair products like wall anchor systems and I-beam systems is a patent-pending process that allows property owners to restore basement walls in extremely damaged conditions.

A total wall replacement is the only option for extreme damage for contractors without access to our patent-pending Shot-Lock Shotcrete Restoration System. But the Shotcrete System can be completed much more quickly and at significant cost savings compared to a complete foundation replacement.

The Shotcrete Wall Restoration System from Supportworks can be completed much more quickly and economically than foundation replacement.

A typical wall repair application with Shotcrete can be completed in just a few days with minimal disturbance to your home or its surrounding landscape. Best of all, the Shotcrete Wall Restoration System is warrantied - adding peace of mind to your newly repaired foundation walls.