Cracking Wall Gets a Solution in Ellsworth, MN

Wednesday, March 6th, 2024 by Elena Druktainis

Challenge

A homeowner from Ellsworth, MN, was reorganizing his basement one afternoon when he noticed several cracks running down his basement walls. He was instantly concerned about what this could mean for the safety of his home and vowed to have someone out to the house to assess the foundation. During his search for a contractor, he came across our website. He was impressed with our previous work and decided to schedule his FREE estimate. Several weeks later, Dylan Woitas, one of our Design Specialists, was scheduled to stop at the home.

Solution

When Dylan arrived, the homeowner directed him to the basement. Dylan wasted no time beginning his inspection. When he concluded, he met with the homeowner to review his findings.

Dylan began by saying foundation walls are designed to withstand loads from above, not from the side. When the pressure from the side exceeds the wall's ability to withstand it, the wall will begin to crack. Dylan went on to say that American Waterworks had a solution; GeoLock anchors. GeoLock anchors combat the pressure from the side by anchoring the failing wall to the undisturbed soil beyond the foundation walls. Steele rods are threaded between the interior and exterior and when tightened, begin to slowly pull the wall back into place. The homeowner liked the sound of Dylan's plan and signed for the job on the spot.

A month later, our Foreman, Victor S, and his team were out at home working on the installation. When the team had finished, they had successfully placed 10 GeoLock anchors throughout the basement. Now, our customer can breathe a bit easier knowing her foundation worries have been solved!