What Would Cause Basement Walls to Bow in Wyoming?

Bowing walls can be a problem in any home, but the weather conditions in Wyoming make them occur a bit more often. Two factors, soil and water, actively contribute to the formation of bowing walls. When water drains too close to your home, water tends to pool around your foundation’s base and in the soil outside your basement walls. This can cause the soil to expand, pushing against your basement walls and causing them to bow in the middle, their weakest point.

Poor soil compaction may also be a factor. Wyoming soil tends to shift and settle because of the wide range of climates and seasonal experiences. This settling soil can cause shifts in the foundation and bowing walls. Wyoming is a generally dry state, meaning that the soil can shift and crack often. However, in high altitudes the melting snow in the spring along with spring showers, can cause moisture issues.

Bowing Wall Solutions in Wyoming

Bowing walls present major problems for your home. They threaten to collapse, making your home structurally unsafe. They can also cause other problems in your home, such as sticking doors or windows, wall cracks, etc. To address this issue promptly, it’s crucial to engage a professional, like Rapid, for the swift resolution of bowing walls.

Rapid Foundation Repair offers multiple solutions for bowing wall repair in Wyoming. These solutions include:

• Wall anchors. Wall anchors are a great solution for bowing walls. A wall anchor consists of a steel plate and a metal rod. The steel plate is attached to your wall, and the rod is drilled through the wall and the surrounding soil. These anchors can be tightened to pull your bowing wall back up over time, and they support the wall in the meantime. Wall anchors can be installed swiftly and with minimal disruption to your home; these durable steel anchors can efficiently pull your wall back to its original position, restoring its stability to the level it had on the day of construction.
• Helical Tieback Anchors. Helical tieback anchors are very similar to wall anchors. They are installed similarly and are also used to straighten out bowing walls. Helical tieback anchors have the additional help of preventing future problems. They do this by evenly distributing the weight of the surrounding soil, keeping the majority of the weight off of the wall. This will prevent future bowing, keeping your wall stable for many years to come. Tiebacks, just like wall anchors, are installed with minimal mess and disturbance, and they are made of high-quality steel.
• Helical Piers. Helical piers are an effective foundation repair device in many circumstances. When dealing with bowing walls, they actively address and repair the underlying issue, which is often foundation failure. A sinking or settling foundation may be the cause of your bowing walls, and lifting that foundation could remedy the problem. Helical piers are installed in a minimally invasive underpinning process. They are designed to keep your foundation on a stable, level plane, and to prevent future sinking. Helical piers are not only helpful with bowing walls but in cases of wall cracks, sticking windows, and slab cracks as well. Helical piers can be installed in any weather, making them ideal for Wyoming homes. If you’re noticing more than just one problem, such as bowing walls and sticking windows, you may want to consider helical piers.