There are many basement wall straightening methods used today, but unfortunately, many of them fail to permanently remedy the problem, and many of them have major drawbacks that make them poor choices for basement wall repair. With more than 20 years’ experience in concrete repair and basement wall straightening in Spring Valley, IL, we have discovered that one of the best ways to adequately repair bowed basement walls is with the I-Beam Method. This method permanently braces or straightens damaged basement walls to restore your home’s integrity and value.

Basement Wall Bracing

Using the I-Beam Method mentioned above, we install 4” steel beams along the length of the bowed basement wall. These beams are placed about five feet apart, and they are mounted into the floor against the wall. The beams are then bolted to the floor joists to completely and permanently secure the wall from top to bottom. We typically use wall bracing when your basement walls are just in the beginning stages of bowing.

Basement Wall Straightening

When basement walls are bowed significantly, we use the same I-Beam Method described above, but the process is more aggressive in order to actually straighten the walls to their original position. The bowed basement wall is excavated to its footing. The steel beams are then installed in the same manner as in wall bracing. However, before the beams are bolted secure, a hydraulic jack is used to push against the beams to straighten the wall. Once the wall is straight, the beams are bolted in place. Both I-Beam methods actually make your basement walls stronger than they ever were originally because the pressure on the walls is transferred from the walls to the beams themselves. Note: Not all bowed basement walls need straightening. In some cases, if the wall is not bowed too badly, simply bracing it will keep it from bowing further and causing structural damage.

Helical Tiebacks Stabilize Basement Walls

An alternative to the I-Beam Method is the Helical Tieback Method. Some of our clients prefer this method to the steel beams used in wall bracing. The Helical Tieback Method involves drilling a hole in the wall and inserting a rod into an anchor plate installed into the soil bank. A ribbed retainer plate and nut then secures the rod inside the wall. Any of these methods can be used to stabilize, and even straighten, failing basement walls. Give us a call and we can help you determine which method is best to correct your bowed basement walls.