Bowing Wall Straightened and Basement Waterproofed in Superior, Wisconsin

Tuesday, August 30th, 2016 by Blake Johnston

Challenge

This Superior, Wisconsin home was having problems with moisture in the basement. Not only was there standing water at times, but leaking walls, and moldy & musty smells accompanying the dampness. This noticeable problem was the cause of several root problems with the home.

The Foundation:The most obvious symptom was in the foundation walls. The walls had become unsafe structurally and had began bowing and cracking, one of the walls had bowed as much as five inches away from its correct position. As you can see in the provided pictures there are many areas that have stair-stepped cracks and dangerously wide cracks in the foundation wall. These cracks make for an unstable foundation and allow outside water and air to enter the home. This situation could get much worse over time if not handled properly.

Waterproofing: With age and a shifting foundation the old waterproofing that had originally been applied to the outer walls of the home had become almost entirely ineffective in preventing water from entering the home. Without creating a waterproof seal on the foundation there was also the possibility of bugs and critters entering the openings that the cracks in the foundation had created.

Water/Moisture: When moisture entered the home through various means in the basement it became trapped which led to a moldy musty smelling basement. The old sump pumps and dehumidifiers typically found in homes are not able to effectively, efficiently, or safely remove the water from around the home and moisture in the air in order to prevent the basement from a musty smell, so this would have to be addressed as well.

Solution

In order to create an effective solution we must have the end goal in mind. This homeowner wants a solid foundation that will be permanently stabilized and a dry basement free from a musty aroma. In order to accomplish this vision we must again split the solution into the three categories of foundation, waterproofing, and water/moisture removal

The Foundation: The foundation wall required a solution that would allow the wall to be straightened and permanently stabilized. In this situation we used our eight foot tall Power Braces against the walls. With the exterior of the home excavated we were able to quickly straighten the wall and by tightening the braces against the wall. After tightening, the braces are left tight in place so that they retain the position of the stabilized wall and eliminate risk of bowing foundation walls in the future.

Waterproofing: With the foundation wall moved back in place and straightened it is time to waterproof this basement. In this situation the homeowner and our design specialist decided it would be appropriate to use exterior waterproofing (as opposed to interior waterproofing). With the foundation wall exposed our team applied a rubber membrane to the foundation wall. This creates a waterproof seal around the basement and helps create a leak free foundation wall. Prior to back filling the excavated area we apply a rigid foam insulation to the wall to create a much more comfortable year round temperature in the basement.

Water/Moisture Removal: It is important to understand that water does not only enter a basement through foundation walls. This is why it was important on this job to make a few specific additions. This home required the use of two sump pumps in order to help take the volume of water from the drain tile and move it away from the foundation of the home. The homeowner decided to go with our SuperSump and UltraSump which provides a back up sump pump for when the volume of water increases beyond the capabilities of the first pump. We also offer a TripleSafe Sump Pump which provides a powerful back-up pump and a third pump that acts as a battery back up if the power were to go out.

Another way water enters a basement is through basement windows. We installed an Everlast basement window which helps prevent water from entering the home and provides more insulation than the previous window offered.

To help provide the customer with a safe, comfortable and enjoyable space in their home we also provided them with a Sanidry CX dehumidifier. This dehumidifier is more powerful and efficient than any standard household dehumidifier and will help effectively dry the basement air to a safe and comfortable level which will aid in reducing any musty moldy smells in the air.

In the end the homeowner was happy that we had helped them reach the goal of permanently stabilizing their foundation while creating a much more dry and comfortable basement environment in their home.

The wall had obvious stair stepped cracks in several different locations.

This basement window did not properly seal the basement from the outdoors. It allowed water, air and bugs into the home. It was replaced with our Everlast Basement window.

Here's another look at the severity of the shifting of this cement block foundation wall.

This gap was several inches deep and would only have gotten worse over time. We used Power Braces to permanently stabilize the wall and prevent any future shifting.

This rubber membrane effectively covers the entire foundation wall and prevents any future water from leaking into the basement at this point.

Here is the insulation that was added to the foundation wall prior to back filling the excavated area.

Any amount of bowing in a foundation wall is concerning and structurally unsafe. At the furthest point, this wall had bowed 5 inches away from its original position.