block basement walls bowing in

[dillon]

Has anyone had experience with fixing basement walls that have cracked at the seams and started pushed in? I am currently looking at a house with this problem and don't know if this is fixable or how it would be fixed. I would imagine if fixable the cost is probably very high.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Depending on the damage, it's fixable.

Ususally what happens is the exterior of the block will be excavated. Using beam jacks on the interior the walls are straightened. Then, they are bored through and anchors are installed. The anchors are a lot like multi-layer brick anchors and they are installed a few feet through the exterior of the block. Then the block is backfilled.

This is usually how it's done. Depending on the damage it can be fairly expensive to not too bad. Either way, you should go into this thinking that you're going to drop at least a couple thousand bucks and it goes up from there. If you're in a wet area the basement will be more prone to flooding, also. However, while the exterior is excavated is a real good time to install drain tile if it isn't already there.

[fishermatt]

When I was working const. for a guy back in college, we had this happen to a house we were building. The guy sent me out to that side of the house with a spade and said, Today your name is Gopher. Start digging. I dug all along the side of the block way down almost to the footings, then I dug a T shaped trench where the Top of the T was parallel to the house (it was a LOT of digging). We drilled holes through the wall, then connected a steel beam on the inside with 3 long threaded bolts connected to the steel I shaped piece we then buried in the ground outside. Then we tightned the nuts on the inside to draw the wall out. If you have a stong back and a shovel, it's the cheap way out.

[Surface Tension]

Very fixable, its just a matter of how you want to go about it and at what expense. I'd get an opinion as to why they are bowing in and a written estimate to fix the wall and the cause.

[PETERSONRJ]

How old is the house? If it is less than 10 years old MN state law requires the builder to fix it. Otherwise I would contact a structural engineer.

[colonel42]

Funny reading your post. I was just chatting with my neighbor yesterday and he is dealing with the same situation. His house is 30' in length and his walls are bowing in. His are to the point of water leaking in. On the exterior wall maybe 4' out is his driveway. He told me every spring he deals with water in the basement. He had two local contractors give him estamates ranging from $10,400 to $12,500. I said they would dig out the dirt, block up the house and tear down the wall and replace it. Insulate and make it water tight etc...

Spendy in my book since his home is probably only valued at $80k. I have lived in my home for 10 yrs and mine are bowed maybe an inch or so but that was when my home didn't have gutters on it. My home was built in the 50's and in the ten years I have lived there it has not moved. Who knows maybe the gutters I installed helped it out.

[Roofer]

With the amount of responsibility involved in a job like that.....that price sounds very reasonable. With the costs of labor, materials, and insurance we all need now, prices add up quick.

Yes, gutters are saving your house. Very good investment for the rainy months.

[kobear]

The gutters are key. Keep as much water away from the house as possible, a good drain tile around the foundation can completely stop the problem. It's not the soil causing the problem it's when the soil fills with water and the water pressure pushes against the block.

Often the soil around the house is thawed out when the rest of the yard is frozen. If surface water can get towards the house it will soak into the unfrozen ground and against the block.

[Sandmannd]

I would get estimates, make the owners fix it before you buy or get the cost covered in the price of the home. If it's 5 grand to fix, have them give you 5 grand at closing for the cost. This should be fixed before you buy IMO. I wouldn't close on a house with a problem unless I was getting the funds to fix it.

[sparcebag]

Personally I would'nt touch the house unless the current owners paid all repairs.And the cause could be around the whole house,could be bad block laying,rebar not installed right,poor moisture retaining back fill,or all clay around decent fill.Inother words it could be lots of things and whos to say in 5-10 years another wall wont will give,seeing one has already.

[dillon]

I foung out that a large number of the houses in this development have the same problem. Apparently they were backfilled with clay and over the years have started to crack and bow in. At this time, the owners of the house don't want to drop their price enough to cover the costs of getting it fixed. Anyway, thanks for all of your replies.

[Sandmannd]

 Quote:

At this time, the owners of the house don't want to drop their price enough to cover the costs of getting it fixed.

If you love the house and have the money to fix it you could do that. What I would do is tell them "this is the price I will pay which includes fixing the walls". Folks need to keep their homes up if they want to make money on them. They days of selling junk homes for high prices are gone.

[Valv]

My house has same problem. We had an engineer look at it and he explained it's drainage of lawn all around.

Water soaks dirt and expands in wintertime, weakest point is block wall and it starts cracking and bowing.

Not a cheap fix.