• Basement Waterproofing
• Crawl Space Repair
• Foundation Repair

Foundation Wall Supports in Mishawaka, Elkhart, South Bend

By the time you first notice bowing or buckling in your foundation walls, it's likely that the problem has been present for a long time. Bowing foundations are often caused by a force called hydrostatic pressure.

Hydrostatic pressure occurs when water presses against your basement walls with more force than the walls can withstand, causing them to move inwards. Other forces, such as expansive clays and frost, are also common causes for soil expansion that can lead to foundation wall fatigue and damage.

Cracking, bowing, and buckling foundations is a serious problem that should be addressed right away.

When you choose to restore your foundation, bear in mind that removing and replacing the foundation is by no means the only foundation repair option available. In fact, it's usually not the best one! If you'd like a free foundation inspection and repair quote, contact Nova Basement Systems of Indiana and Michigan today! We serve Elkhart, South Bend, Mishawaka La Porte, Goshen, Logansport, Portage, Hobart, Niles, Peru, Plymouth, Granger, Monticello, Dowagiac, Wabash, Osceola, Rensselaer, Knox, Buchanan, Middlebury, Berrien Springs, Nappanee, Rochesterand many Indiana and Michigan areas nearby.

Rebuilding a Foundation Wall

"The condition will not stabilize. It's a question of how much time remains."
- Chief Appraiser, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Horizontal cracks, wall shear, buckling, and bowing of a foundation wall with severe structural damage will only get worse as time progresses. In unusual cases, the only way to repair this problem is to completely remove and rebuild a home foundation.

The process begins with your yard. Before replacing the foundation, the former foundation must be dug out and removed. All landscaping around the foundation, such as walkways, steps, gardens, foliage, and other landscaping along the foundation will need to be taken up, and the soil will be heaped in mounds around the house.

Temporary supports will keep your house raised while the foundation walls are rebuilt. When the work is finally completed, the landscaping and dirt can be returned, and a year later, the soil will need to be regraded.

Rebuilding a foundation wall is expensive, invasive, time-consuming, and disruptive to y our home.

Additionally, foundation replacement merely replaces the damaged foundation with another one- which can fail in turn over time. Replacing a foundation wall with a new one should only be done when it's deemed that repair is not a good option.

The Fortress Carbon Fiber Stabilization System

What is Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber is now a proven, popular alternative to steel reinforcing structural substrates in residential and commercial applications. Carbon fiber is highly effective at adding tensile strength to concrete blocks and poured walls. It is superior to steel since it is stronger and non-corrosive. It can also be bonded to the surface of concrete structures at any time to stop bowing and cracking. This allows limitless applications for new constructions, repair, retrofit, and seismic upgrades.

Studies conducted over the last 20 years confirm that carbon fiber is a strong, durable and safe product. Carbon fiber does not rust, nor is it susceptible to alkali deterioration. Once carbon fiber is encapsulated in any epoxy matrix, strength is locked in, it will not stretch, creep, or bend over time.

Fortress Carbon Fiber Stabilization System

• Cost Effective
• Non-obtrusive - lays flat to substrate
• No destructive attachments made to the floor or ceiling
• Inclusive of Kevlar provides additional shear strength
• Grid is fully encapsulated in epoxy anchoring it in place
• Able to conform to bowed walls
• Can be painted for smooth clean look
• Quick labor saving installation
• The Fortress Clean-Peel backing strip provides a clean, prepared bonding surface
• Pre-mixed toughened epoxy
• Fortress keeps wall from further displacement

EPOXY CRACK INJECTION

"Low-Pressure Crack Injection is a superiormethod for repairing leaking wall cracks."

TOP 3 REASONS WHY CONCRETE CRACKS

1 - Moisture can penetrate into a tiny break in concrete and due to freezing and thawing can expand into a crack that is leaking.	2 - As foundations stabilize, any movement can cause rigid concrete to separate at these tiny breaks, then enlarging to water- leaking size.	3 - Ground remains unstable, maintaining a stress on con-crete sufficient to cause crack.

Injection process....

First we grind at the surface of the wall to provide a good clean bond for our epoxies.Ports are inserted into crack from bottom to top in one foot intervals. A preliminary epoxy is applied to hold the ports in place. A special low-viscosity epoxy is pressure-in-jected throughout the crack, beginning with the lowest port and working upwards. This epoxy, which is about the same consistency as water, travels through the crack from in-side to out and forms a concrete weld. The final stage involves cutting the ports flush to the wall and applying the last epoxy. The entire process can take from 1 to 3 visits to accomplish depending upon conditions. Epoxy Crack Injections are supported by a lifetime warranty which is transferable with the sale of your home. This is an added in-vestment to your home.

Foundation Anchors

The Foundation Supportworks, Inc. (FSI) Wall Anchor System, provided by Nova Basement Systems, offers a reliable and solid foundation repair system for the state of Indiana and Michigan. FSI Wall Anchors include three main components: an interior wall plate, a connecting steel rod, and an exterior earth anchoring system. Working together, they not only brace and reinforce the foundation wall, they're able to counteract the pressure being pushed against the wall and return the wall to its original, straight position.

To install a FSI foundation anchor, a small area of lawn is removed, and the space underneath is excavated. An anchor is placed inside the hole, and a small hole is created in the foundation wall from the inside. The steel rod- which has no corkscrew end- is pushed through the earth to where the anchor is placed outside. The anchor is fixed on the rod, and the earth is returned and packed tight. The lawn is returned to its original state, and a wall plate is mounted on the steel rod on the inside of the foundation.

The wall plate is tightened against the wall, and this tightening is repeated over time. Periodic retightening of the wall plate against foundation wall has the potential to pull the wall back to its original position. Additionally, foundation anchors are cost-effective and can usually install in a single day. Year-round installation is possible, and the job can be completed with minimal yard disruption and with no need to replace the foundation.

Your system design specialist will be able to help you choose which foundation wall anchor solution is best for your home.

If your issue is foundation settlement or a damaged crawl space, there are many other options that you should consider. If you live in Indiana or Michigan and foundation anchors are a solution you're interested in, click here for a free foundation wall repair quote! Otherwise, learn more about crawl space repair.