How to Repair a Bowed Brick Foundation

Bracing the Wall

• 1

  Remove a section of floor below the bowed portion on the inside of the foundation. Use a jackhammer if the floor is concrete, or a shovel and pickaxe if it is a dirt floor. Excavate a hole approximately 2 feet deep by 2 feet wide for each 3 to 4 feet of bowed wall sections. For example, if the bowed area is 6 to 8 feet wide, dig two holes approximately 4 feet apart.

• 2

  Measure the height between the bottom of the holes and the top of the floor joist above the foundation wall.

• 3

  Cut a section of the steel beam to be just slightly shorter than the height just measured, by 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch. Cut the beams to size with the reciprocating or hack saw. Repeat if applying more than one.

• 4

  Place the beams in the holes and lean them up against the bowed section of wall.

• 5

  Mix the concrete in the wheelbarrow with water as per the rates recommended on the packaging. Pour the mix into the holes. Allow to set for the recommended amount of time.

• 6

  Push the top of the steel beam flush against the floor joist, or as closes as is possible if the bowed section prevents it. Drill holes through the beams with the hammer drill and metal-boring bits into the floor joist.

• 7

  Attach the steel beams to the floor joist with the bolts or self-tapping screws. Use an impact wrench if possible, or a socket set. Tighten the bolts or screws as much as is possible. Retighten periodically, at least once every two to three months.

Achoring the Wall

• 8

  Excavate a trench in the soil outside of the bowed section of wall. It needs to be deep enough to be directly behind the section of bowed wall at the point it bows furthest out on the inside. If the section of bowed wall exceeds 4 feet in width, dig a parallel trench so that the wall will be anchored at 3 to 4 foot intervals.

• 9

  Drill a hole through the outside of the bowed section of wall with the hammer drill and masonry bit the same width as the threaded rod. Attach the plates to the wall with the drill and masonry screws.

• 10

  Mount the wall plates on the inside of the foundation, so that the center hole will line up with the hole drilled for the rods.

• 11

  Measure the distance between the wall plate and the end of the rod. Place the earth anchor in the trench, spaced so that the threaded rod can connect to the anchor and attach to the wall plate. Attach the rod to both ends. You may need to adjust the anchor accordingly.

• 12

  Back-fill the excavated soil over the anchors. Tighten the threaded rod so that the pressure on the bowed section of wall is towards the anchor. Use the pipe wrench to tighten as much as possible. Back-fill the remainder of the trench and make sure to achieve the proper slope away from the foundation when regrading the soil.

• 13

  Repeat the procedure of tightening the rod, by excavating the soil over top of the rod and tightening it as much as is possible. This should be done every two to three months until the wall is as plumb as is possible, or until the wall cannot be pulled out any further.