5 Main Causes of Bowing Basement Walls and How to Fix the Problem

Bowing basement walls is one of the problems that you are likely to experience in your home if you don’t mitigate issues such as water damage.

There are many factors that can cause bowing basement walls. Let’s look at these factors and how a repair technician can help you fix the problem of bowing basement walls.

Heavy Rains
Heavy rains can cause an increased amount of water to reach the foundation of your building. When this happens, the basement walls will experience more hydrostatic pressure due to the increased weight of the soil that surrounds the foundation. This pressure can cause the basement walls to start bending inwards.

Damaged or Faulty Gutters and Downspouts
If your building has damaged or faulty gutters and downspouts, the water from the roof will be dumped on the foundation or very close to it. Over time, the soil that supports the foundation becomes saturated with water and exerts increased hydrostatic pressure against the basement walls.

So if you have old, damaged, or faulty gutters and downspouts, you should always be on the lookout for signs of damage to the basement walls and, more so, the problem of bowing basement walls.

Plumbing Leaks
Leaks that occur within or near the basement walls can cause these walls to lose their rigidity and start bending or warping due to the overlying weight over time. The leaking water is also absorbed by the soil and this can increase the weight that the soil exerts on the basement walls.

Large Roots
Roots of large trees growing near your home usually push the soil as they expand. Sustained pressure will cause the walls of your basement to curve as the roots expand.

Frost Heave
If you live in an area that experiences wild temperature variations, you are likely to experience frost heaving. When soil expands due to high temperature, it will exert more pressure on the foundation of your house, causing the basement walls to bend.

Solutions for Bowing Basement Walls

Before you do any repair work for bowing basement walls, you should let a professional contractor carry out a thorough inspection to identify the cause of the problem.

Depending on the level of damage, the contractor is likely to use any of the following methods to fix the bending walls:

• Carbon fiber
• Steel bracing
• Wall anchors