Most houses have a raised perimeter foundation that supports floors and load- bearing walls. Perimeter foundations that are severely cracked , bowed, or tipped require rigorous reinforcement to prevent the situation from degenerating. Sometimes it is possible to repair the walls from the inside using braces made of wood or steel. Another technique is carbon fiber mesh. Alternatively wall anchors can be placed across the entire wall about 6 feet apart or so.
Braces made of steel or would can be installed against the law and attached to the floor and overhead joists. Unfortunately they do intrude into the basement area about 6 inches, which makes it difficult to finish the walls. A newer technique involves spreading epoxy in vertical strips and then pressing carbon fiber mesh to lock the wall in place.
Wall anchors look like giant bolts. It’s necessary to first excavate around the foundation so metal plates can be installed on the outside of the foundation walls as well as the inside. These plates are connected by steel rods. The connectors are gradually tightened, to first stabilize the wall, and then straighten it. While anchors are usually placed every 6 to 8 feet.
Bowing foundations usually need to be straightened, especially when they bow more than 3 inches. You probably have to excavate part or all of the foundation, and then rebuild it. This is a major foundation repair.
