Under Pressure: How Heavy Rainfall Weakens Foundation Walls

Hydrostatic- WHAT!? 

Although it sounds complicated, hydrostatic pressure is simple. It refers to the pressure applied by a fluid because of the force of gravity. As the water builds in the soil near your foundation, the hydrostatic pressure will increase, pushing against the basement walls and leading to potential damage. As more water soaks into the soil, the heavier it will get. The extra water weight combined with the weight of the soil, is relentless against walls, which could lead to dangerous results.  

What Should I Look Out For? 

 Now that we’ve defined Hydrostatic Pressure, it’s time to dive into what this means for your home. As the extra weight presses against your foundation wall, it exceeds the weight it can withstand, leading it to bow and buckle. If you have a poured foundation wall, you may notice a tilt at the top. If you have a block foundation wall, you may notice horizontal cracks near the corner. Both are indicators that the wall is starting to fail. Once you notice these symptoms, it’s important to closely monitor the situation, as failure will occur if the problem is not properly addressed. 

Don’t Let the Bowing Keep Growing 

Having bowing walls is not ideal, so it is important to keep an eye out for the early signs. These signs include stair step cracks, diagonal cracks on your corners, inward bowing or bulging along walls, walls sliding inwards on the bottom, and leaning at the top. Since you now know what to look out for, you can stay ahead of these damages.  

STAY-bilizing Solutions!

Although dealing with a failing foundation can seem like a daunting task, American Waterworks offers award-winning solutions to save your home. American Waterworks provides several foundation repair services that will rescue your home. GeoLocks is our wall anchor system that stabilizes failing foundation walls. 

 If you do not have enough room around your home, another option is PowerBraces. PowerBraces is our patented foundation repair system designed to stabilize basement walls without disrupting your lawn, gardens, foliage, and other landscaping.  

If you catch the wall bowing quickly enough, you may qualify to install the Carbon Armor strips. Our Carbon Armor is a reinforcing system that relies on the exceptional strength of the carbon fiber fabrics, did we mention it was 10 times stronger than steel?  

With all these options, you will find the foundation solution that fits your home. You want your foundation to be in the best shape, so be sure to keep an eye on it. Click HERE to claim your FREE, no-obligation estimate with one of our professionally trained Design Specialist and keep your home safe!