How to Stabilize a Wall

Determine how far the bowing stretches across the wall. You will only install the fiber straps to the area that is actually bowing, or collapsing inward. It might be a good idea to apply straps to the immediately surrounding area as well, in anticipation of any future wall movement. Because you are applying a strap about every 4 feet or so, the number of straps used will be few. So if the bow is roughly 8 feet across your basement wall, you will use two straps.

Sand the area vertically from floor to ceiling. The area will be about 4 inches across, and will stretch the entire vertical length of the wall. Use a power sander to remove any paint or impurities on the wall. Sand about a quarter of an inch into the block wall itself. You want to reach the internal aggregate, or the stone, of the block. This is so the epoxy will have a clean place to sit and sink into the block itself. The deeper it can sink, the stronger the bond.

Apply the epoxy material to the sanded part of the wall. The layer should be thick. The strap is usually a mesh material, and the goal is to push the mesh into the epoxy backing. The more the openings of the mesh are filled in, the better. Therefore, the application of the epoxy should me roughly 1/2- to 1/4-inch thick.

Remove the backing from the strap itself. Push the strap into the epoxy. Take your time and make sure the entire strap is pressed into the epoxy layer as much as possible. Use the head of a hammer or a small piece of wood to push the mesh strap as deeply into the epoxy as you can.