basement wall supports

[watsonr4]

I had an estimate done to put a french drain in my basement (see topic "can't stop the water in the basement...detailed") and the guy told me that he would be more concerned with the cracks in the wall than the water coming in.

We had sealed the cracks a few years ago, but the wall has bowed in enough since then that they appear as cracks again.

I wouldn't call the bowing extreme or anything, and if not for the cracks you would have to look at the walls at just the right angle in order to see they are bowed.

This summer we dug up the outside of the wall and removed all the red clay that was against it and replaced it with gravel, so I'm hoping that they will not bow in anymore.

The guy doing the estimating said they brace the wall by stacking 17"x17" concrete slabs into columns against the wall. These columns will be placed every 5 feet and weigh over 1 ton each. The price for each column is $500. He said most people build a wall in front of the columns and turn the whole thing into a walk in closet.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of bracing? He doesn't recommend using "dead man" braces or I beams.

I'm wanting to sell the house later this year and feel that I need to do something to the wall so that it is not a turn off to potential buyers.

Thanks,
ron

[watsonr4]

Has no one had any experience with wall braces???

I had another estimate done and this contractor uses I-beams. He said that in 20 years, they've never had an I-beam fail.

Another thing, he said they will try to push the wall back out to straighten it. If it starts cracking the block though, they will stop and place the I-beams without straightening. The other contractor told me that once a wall becomes bowed, it weakens it to straighten it back out.

Any advice?

[Jimmer]

Ron,

If you are going through the trouble of putting in supports and excavating outside why don't you do a temporary inside support and remove the damaged section of block and replace it? Then remove the temp supports. Apply a proper water sealant to the outside of the new block and ensure the drain tile is properly installed.

You would probably save money and the job would be done right instead of looking like a repair/patch job.

Good luck, Jim



'Just a handyman trying to help'