Five Most Common Causes Of Bowed Basement Walls
The structural integrity of your home’s foundation is crucial to the safety of your family and the protection of your assets. If you find your basement walls have started to bow, you may be in some serious trouble. At the first sign of bowing you need to call a foundation expert to help diagnose the problem and find an immediate solution. Basement walls can bow for a myriad of reasons, here are the five most common:
- Tree Roots: Trees planted to closely to your house, especially large trees with dense root systems can exert immense pressure against your walls. Though these root systems may be made only of plant fibers and wood, combined with the weight of soil and hydrostatic pressure can cause concrete to crack, buckle, and eventually bow inward.
- Heavy Driveways Or Patios: Driveways and patios that are made of heavy stone or concrete can add immense pressure to your foundation walls. Especially if these structural elements are connected or on top of your basement walls. After years under this pressure, the concrete walls of your basement may start to buckle and will eventually bow to release the pressure.
- Poor Grading: The grading of the soil and turf around your home can contribute to bowing basement walls in two ways. First, if the area around your walls is graded toward your walls, the pressure of the heavy soil can cause your walls to bow. Secondly, inward grading can also direct rain and groundwater against the walls of your foundation increasing the hydrostatic pressure, which may eventually force bowing.
- Plumbing Leaks: Plumbing leaks seem innocuous enough, but if they aren’t fixed right away they can build up enough moisture that eventually they undermine the structural integrity of your basement walls causing bowing.
- Heavy Rains: After heavy rains, especially during long periods or immense flooding during hurricane season, the groundwater can swell and build. This excess of water increases the hydrostatic pressure against the walls of your basement and can be so heavy that it eventually will bow the walls of your basement.
If your basement walls are bowing, you need to call a foundation repair expert immediately. At AA Action Waterproofing we can help diagnose the cause of your bowing basement walls and help implement a solution to fix your foundation. With nearly 30 years of experience in the Maryland area, we have helped hundreds of homeowners just like you deal with bowing basement walls. Call us today for a free consultation!