How Does Wall Anchor System Help Foundation Repair?

There's nothing more important to the integrity of your home than a solid foundation. And there's no easier way to ensure that your foundation is in good shape than by regularly inspecting it for cracks or other signs of wear and tear.

If you find cracks in your foundation, it's important to act quickly to repair them. One of the most useful ways to do this is using a wall anchor system. The professional basement wall repair will explain how the wall anchor system helps foundation repair.

How Do Wall Anchor Systems Aid Foundation Repairs?

Foundation walls should be solid, upright, and at a 90-degree angle. Wall anchors are used to keeping crumbling, leaning, and bowed walls stable. In traditional uses, anchors can also repair seawalls and retaining walls.

Why Do Walls Bow Or Lean?

The primary reason your walls are bowing or leaning is due to excessive lateral pressure from the exterior. Unfortunately, all that pressure from the additional weight can cause your basement, seawall, or retaining wall to cave in. Here's why that happens.

Expansive Soil

Clay-rich soils are susceptible to absorbing a significant amount of water. The more water the clay soil absorbs, the more it expands. The expansion process places lateral pressure on your foundation walls, which can cause them to bow or lean.

Heavy rains can lead to flooding, which can saturate the soil and cause it to expand. Irrigation or sprinkler systems can also lead to expansive soil conditions in drier climates.

Hydrostatic Pressure

Hydrostatic pressure is the force exerted on your foundation walls when water in the soil around your home starts to build up. That water has nowhere to go but sideways and up, which puts pressure on your foundation walls.

That lateral pressure can cause cracks in your foundation walls, leading to further damage if left unaddressed.

Frost Heave

Water grows as it freezes by about 9% according to the temperature at which it is frozen. Therefore, saturated soil can freeze in colder regions, increasing the dirt's weight. If you gain weight, it will put pressure on your wall. The weight and pressure shift when the dirt finally thaws, causing your wall to fall back to its original position. This back-and-forth motion puts a lot of strain on your foundation.

Basement Wall Anchor Systems

There are several types of wall anchors used for basement foundation repair. The most common ones are listed below:

Wall Plate Anchors

Wall plate anchors help to prevent bowing walls from collapsing without putting extra strain on the rest of the home. The system consists of three functional components.

• The inside wall plate prevents your bowing/leaning wall from collapsing.
• A foreign object is placed in the surrounding soil.
• Lastly, a sturdy rod connects them.

Wall plate anchors are a cost-effective foundation repair method that doesn't require extensive damage to your property.

Helical Tieback Anchors

Like wall plate anchors, helical tieback anchors are also used to prevent bowing walls from collapsing. The main difference is that helical tieback anchors consist of a steel rod screwed into the soil instead of placed in the ground.

This mechanism uses only two components instead of three.

• First, the wall plate is attached to the target wall.
• The dirt is dug up from the basement, and a corkscrew-like anchor drills out. The wall is straightened as the anchor twists.

Helical tieback anchors are not required for installation and are ideal in situations with restricted interior and external access.

C-Channel Anchors

C-channel anchors are best used to stabilize walls during a sheering process. Sheering means the top of the wall is pushed in while the bottom part of the wall remains in place.

The four steps to a successful C-channel anchor system are:

• First, a steel beam is secured to the damaged wall.
• An outside anchor is placed in the ground, necessitating a minimum of 10 feet of clearance.
• A steel beam is tied to an anchor on the outside with a high-strength rod.
• Finally, the steel beam is attached to the foundation of your basement wall.

The c-channel anchor, when torqued correctly, can help stabilize or straighten the wall over time.

Wall Anchor Systems For Seawalls

If you live on the coast, your home is subject to additional risks from flooding and high winds. In addition, you'll need a specialized wall anchor system to protect your seawall from damage.

Helical Tie-Back Anchor System

Helical wall tieback anchors are intended to straighten or strengthen seawalls, basements, and retaining walls. This shoring technique has grown in popularity among engineers because of its strength and simplicity in measuring capacity.

The advantages of helical tiebacks mirror those of other helical anchors in that they require little equipment, are not harmed by weather, and can be load-tested immediately after installation. The main disadvantage is that the helical tieback must be installed perpendicular to the wall or seawall it is meant to support, which can be challenging.

Hydrostatic Relief Drains

Weeping holes are key for properly functioning seawalls, retaining walls, and bulkhead panels. Problems will occur if these weeping holes get clogged or don't allow groundwater to escape. Additionally, if the weep holes aren't free from filter fabric, soil and landfills can enter the water through them. The weep holes are essential to prevent hydrostatic pressure building on the wall from landward groundwater growth.

When water seeps into landfills without an appropriate erosion control system, it can cause the landfill to collapse due to hydrodynamic pressure. Weep holes prevent soil erosion and preserve the owner's property's dignity. As a result, inspecting and cleaning the weep holes regularly is important. The Professional basement repair contractor will do this for you as part of a routine maintenance check.

Read here: Do I Need a Waterproofer Or A Foundation Repair Expert?

In Conclusion

Wall anchor systems are an important part of any foundation repair project. There are many anchors to choose from, so be sure to select the right one for your needs. Helical tieback anchors are a good choice for many homes, but if you live on the coast, you'll need a specialized system to protect your seawall. Have your anchors installed by a professional basement wall repair contractor to ensure they're placed correctly and can withstand the elements.