When a basement wall starts to crack, and those cracks open up horizontally, it can be a sign that the wall is being pushed inward. Many times the horizontal cracks will line up with the frost line in the outside soil. The video from this home inspection will show you these cracks in a basement wall.
It’s no secret that the soil freezes in the winter time here in Rochester MN. The frost expands the soil and presses against the wall, causing a lateral load. This lateral load can cause the wall to bow inward. Unstable soils, expansive clay, compressible, or improperly compacted soil can be a basement’s worst enemy.
Fortunately it is possible to rescue a bowed basement wall. There are companies in the Rochester area that can install an anchor system that can stabilize and pull bowed walls back into place. After a careful inspection and analysis, these companies can design a system that will resolve the problem for a fraction of the cost of total replacement.