Foundation leaning basement wall...repair cost?

Question

Just bought a house and discovered in has a leaning basement wall.

Basement was flooded had it drained. Plumber said main water line in basement broke somewhere, dirt in line couldnt get snake past certain point.  He thought it had been broken for some time.

Would the excess water cause this sort of lean in the wall?  There are also quite a few cracks in the walls.

The house in in really good shape except for the basement. Ive never dealt with foundation issues before and wondering what the approx cost would be to fix or if i even needs to be fixed after i repair the main line and solve the water problem.

Shawn Ward · Answer

@Cynthia Miller post on craigslist for experienced contractors who work with foundation repairs, and get referrals. from there, choose 3 that you feel comfy with. get them to look at it and give you a quote.

Only way to get an accurate assessment.

All the best!

sjw

Only way to get an accurate assessment.

All the best!

sjw

Alex Natanson · Answer

I would say if it's less than 1-in off and you addressed the cause just repoint the crack and be with it if it's more any decent home inspector will notice the bowing wall and a deal will fell through.

It's unlikely an inside issue damaged the foundation the way you described it - look outside: downspouts, wells, soil. Almost every project with block foundation i flipped had the same issue - outside water and a feasible solution is to drain the water away. 2K it was just materials and 2 days of excavation service. I did all the rest - I have a vast knowledge and experience in construction. If I would be a contractor I'd charge no less than 7-9K for the job

Cynthia Miller · Answer

Alex. I just noticed your post, missed it 1st time. I believe it is cinderblock.

If someone can tell me how to attach a picture i can post it.

The plumbet said the main line in basent had beem broken for  while. There was about 1 to 1 1/2 ft of water in basement. He drained it.

Im assuming the foundation problem was cuased by the flooding which was left who know how long.

Alex $2k would be great it i coukd get it done for that or even better if i could get away with not doing it at all. How bad does it have to be before it has to be done?

Cynthia Miller · Answer

Ball park figure if they can do it from the inside?

I was reading about this new method like tape, i cant remember exactly what is called. It a special material super stong they tape ot across the wall. Ive read mixed reviews about it. Anyone tried it?

I also read if its not leaning too much and the sorce of the problem is fixed i might not have to do it at all.

Like i said never delt with foundations before so trying to get some gerneral ideas on pricing and options.

I have a  picture but i dont see where to attach?

J Scott · Answer

Depends on the cause and the severity.  If it can be fixed from the interior it will be significantly cheaper than if they have to excavate the exterior to move the wall back into place.  Find a good foundation company or structural engineer to take a look.

Pat L. · Answer

Pictures would help. We looked at a large ranch in a great area but it also had a basement wall issue that was a deterrent for us. The home did short sale a year ago but it fell through once the cost of repairs came in. The basement was block so it had cracked & shifted significantly. However, the inside walls were covered in cheap paneling & the outside walls were covered with brick veneer all of which hid the more significant cracking.

Alex Natanson · Answer

First of all are we talking about a foundation made of cinderblocks?

A leaning wall means it's disintegrated in corner/s. Is that so? I doubt you could have missed it while inspecting the property. But bowing might be the case. I had the bowing wall (about 2 in off) 10 ft lenght. Most common treatment is I-beam that pushes the wall back. The quote was 6 I-beams for 5,000. Next question is how old the foundation is? Mine was dated 1954. It means there is a high chance that cinderblocks are saturated with water and that made them weak. In my case I-beam was not viable solution because pushing the wall back without digging the wall first would crumple the wall. Plus it will be hard to flip the house with such a visible issue.

Please don't repeat what i did. Cause i knew what i was doing. From inside I built a supportive wall out of 4*6 pressure treated wood. Dug out the outside down to footings. The outside of cinderblocks were soft and crumbled. I pushed the wall back, put rebars, and poured concrete. That is it. It took me 3 days and 2K of materials and excavation

Foundation leaning basement wall...repair cost?

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