Foundation Repair Case Studies: Basement Foundation Saved In Winside, NE
Challenge
Shane's grandfather built this house, and it has been in the family for many years. It was more than a place. It was a family treasure--no way Shane wanted to see it worsening under his watch.
He could see that the walls were bowing in. He knew he had to do something before complete disaster struck. It was imperative to keep the house his grandfather built strong and sturdy and not fail because of foundation issues. He called Thrasher Foundation Repair.
System Design Specialist Ryan Van Cleave performed a thorough inspection of the entire property and explained to Shane and his family what was causing the bowing, buckling and cracking foundation walls. Thrasher takes every step to educate you on our findings and makes recommendations for your home's unique needs. We deliver a same-day, no-obligation estimate with transparent pricing and a copy of our industry-leading warranty.
Foundation Failures Finds Fault in the Soil
Often in homes built at another time, the house is built with building materials common at that time. The foundation walls could be constructed of rubble, stone, and brick, which had started to deteriorate excessively over the home's long life. The prevailing problem for homes in the Midwest with deteriorating foundation issues stem from expansive clays and hydrostatic pressure from moisture build-up in the soil. 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. Or they are even crumbling walls in its advanced state.
A proper fix for a bowing wall is one that addresses underlying issues and presents a permanent solution. Foundation systems used to repair a bowing basement wall include wall anchors, wall braces and carbon fiber straps for lateral pressures and piers for vertical pressures. Depending on your home's unique construction and the amount of bowing, any of these solutions could be the proper fix for your wall.
Solution
Foundation Wall Repaired with Wall Anchors
Ryan recommended Thrasher's 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.
Foundation Wall Shored up with Braces
Because of our repair's custom nature, Ryan also recommended adding Thrasher's PowerBrace Wall System could be the best solution. While there are several solutions for bowing, buckling or significant cracks in walls, wall braces or beams are common when wall anchors don't work. This usually is due to outside obstructions preventing the yard anchor from being placed, including property lines, sidewalks, outbuildings or tree roots. This I-beam system is made of galvanized steel beams with a rust-resistant zinc coating, cut to the exact specifications of your basement wall.
The top of each brace is attached close to your home's mudsill, near the floor joists in the basement ceiling, where they are bolted to a special bracket. The wall brace is then attached to your basement floor with another special bracket, spanning the wall's entire height. Once installed, the I-beam can be tightened with its patented adjustment mechanism at the top to create the best vertical plumb possible against the buckling wall, stabilizing and restoring your foundation's integrity.
Crumbling Basement Wall Made New
As a final measure and a way to fix this problem permanently, we added the Shot-Lock Shotcrete Wall Restoration System from Supportworks to stabilize foundation walls that had extreme deterioration - nearly to the point of collapse.
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.
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.
After installing wall anchors, the PowerBraces, and Shot-Lock to give Shane and his family a brand-new basement wall, the refreshed and solid foundation walls gave this older home a new lease on life.
Ryan added, "From having a failing wall to having a beautiful brand-new wall is just amazing! Shane and his family were the perfect Thrasher customers. From start to finish, they wanted their basement fixed, prepped the basement exactly the way I asked them to, contacted me numerous times because they were so excited to get the project started, and in the end, were so happy, and they let me know it!"
Again, a perfectly delighted customer and a Thrasher 5-star experience!
Ready for Peace of Mind
Thrasher has 45 years of experience protecting and saving foundation walls and working with homeowners just like you to protect your most significant investment. We take great pride in our ability to restore lost peace of mind, improve your quality of life, and maintain your property value. Our promise is to provide such a remarkable experience that you will want to give us a 5-star review. If you are concerned about a crack in your foundation or detect any bowing or leaning walls, call Thrasher Foundation Repair to schedule a Free Inspection.
Call us or complete our Free Inspection form.
