How to Correct a Leaning Basement Wall

Basement walls might lean or become bowed from a variety of causes, one of the main ones being pressure from expanding soil or water. Many solutions have been tried to fix bowed walls, and a promising new solution has come onto the market in recent years. It uses straps made out of carbon fiber to resist the pressure the wall is receiving from the outside. Carbon fiber has enormous tensile strength, allowing it to hold back the weight of the soil. Remember that although carbon fiber straps will stop basement wall leaning from getting worse, the straps do not fix any problems that caused the wall to lean in the first place. Determine what problem or problems are causing the wall to lean and resolve them.

chalk
grinder
epoxy
straps
putty knife
paint

Instructions

- 1
  Mark out the area on the wall that will receive the carbon fiber strap, using a piece of chalk. Place the marks over the bow and every 4 feet if the entire wall is affected. The straps, which have a meshlike appearance, come in 2-, 4- and 6-inch widths. They lie flat against the surface from the top of the wall to the bottom.
- 2
  Use a grinder to grind down the area of placement until you have smoothed the surface of the concrete block. Wear a respirator as you work.
- 3
  Apply an epoxy made for use with carbon fiber straps. Make sure it covers the entire area that will receive the strap, from the top of the wall to the bottom.
- 4
  Remove any protective material from the back of the strap. Place the strap over the layer of epoxy on the wall.
- 5
  Use a putty knife to compress the strap onto the bed of epoxy. Let the epoxy permeate the strap's mesh. Avoid leaving any dry areas on the strap. Use a steady, even pressure as you work. Ensure that you work out any air bubbles that may occur.
- 6
  Allow the strap to become completely enmeshed in the epoxy. Repeat as necessary for other leaning areas of the wall. Wait a few days, then paint over the fiber straps with paint, if you desire.

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