I knew it. I have been doing this method for years and have not had concrete proof until now, other than never going back to the job for failure. This proves it's a better process than carbon fiber strips, which are usually installed wrong to begin with! In conjunction with steel i beams a wall will never move again! Would love to contact you and share some of the jobs and walls I have saved
I'd love to hear your results also. This is the route I'll take to reinforce a slightly damaged wall, not bowing, but showing cracks. I removed the cause/source of the water pressure and stopped the leaks first. Next will be fixing the wall.
Thanks so much Alan. I'm researching to how reinforce an 8' section of my basement wall which shows signs of hydrostatic cracking (mild). I removed all the water problems that caused the issue. Very much appreciate your thorough discussion on the subject, and the bonus experiments at the end. :) Thanks again!
Very informative video. I am going to be looking at a possible purchase of a house with a reported cinder block basement wall issue. This video give me more confidence in understanding at least some of the issues involved and possible remedies. Thanks!
Excellent information from a structural engineer. There are far too many TH-cam "experts" I've seen giving DYI'ers information on how to fix structural foundations issues (not relatively simple water penetration issues). Always hire a structural engineer to review your situation and provide recommendations on how to address, then decide if it is possible to DYI or if you need to hire an experienced contractor.
A few questions on your excellent video: 1. What are the cost comparisons between carbon fiber and fiberglass mesh? (4.5 oz. and 3 layer) 2. What kinds of waterproofing does thinset offer? Will it stand up in wet conditions? 3. Carbon fiber kits I have seen recommend tying in the top of the mesh to the plate. Do you recommend this and if so, how? Thanks.
The repair you described at the end matches a repair I saw in a basement in Parma, OH that I have in a purchase contract. Your video helps describe it so I know better what I am dealing with before I get an inspection. On another note viscosity and adhesion are also important, right? Fiberglass is much more flexible than carbon fiber. Fiberglass, even if it didn't break, should actually allow the wall to bow and bend with it to an extant over time, whereas carbon fiber is more rigid. Maybe your analysis of fiberglass cloth repair would be better measuring the bowing that pressure is causing, while the carbon fiber is probably practically rigid.
I'm 7 years late to this discussion, but I really appreciate the innovative simple R&D. To me the worst part would be the initial grinding phase, including effort and dust. I wonder if an air operated needle de-scaler would do a good enough job of scarifying the existing concrete surface? If so, a water trickle at the needles would eliminate most dust and allow for continuous wet-vac cleanup on the floor. Another idea might be to skip the grinding and use diluted muriatic acid (brick cleaner), to etch the concrete strips, with precautions of course.
Steel beams are cheaper than carbon fiber (or at least very similar in price) you can jack them too which will allow for 12 tons of pressure pushing back on the wall. I personally don't like carbon fiber strips.
Thank you for this work and insight. I am curious as to your thoughts on the thin set mesh method holding up over 20-50 years against 3000 lbs/lineal foot?
Great video. Thank you for this. Information with solid facts and testing. I may use this in an interior cinder block wall with minor cracks. However the mortar in between the blocks seems to be deteriorating from the outside quite badly. I got a foundation repair place involved and they done seem concerned. However Idd like to seal the wall from water from the inside and outside. Would you suggest this on the outside? It’s also a good way to finish the wall to some degree as you said. Any thoughts on water sealing though? Perhaps drywall could go up over it with less likleyhood of moisture getting in?
I have renovated 8' walls before with method 2. It works very well on cmu block. The portion of the wall I could not solid fill with mortar, cracked out again.
Thanks for the information, 1 question I get the 3 ' wide horizantol strip . I have a 14' wall I need to fix , so I will put a 3' horizontal strip . How many verticle strips will I need , Evevery 2' ?
Great video! I'm in the Pacific Northwest on a block foundation. I am attempting to earthquake retrofit the foundation in a cost-effective manner. Here we are very concerned as you can well imagine with the twisting moment of our foundation walls. Would you recommend your fiberglass treatment over carbon fiber?
I’m no expert but I would still say yes, especially if you’re dealing with something over 50 years old. Masonry work of any type needs to breathe and weep moisture. Latex moisture traps moisture in any cement, brick, or stone, and begins its decay.
What are the long-term deflection characteristics of fiberglass mesh? It's strong but perhaps over the years it would still allow bending. Also, is there no significant risk of the adhesion between the fiberglass and the wall give with time?
@@nursebynight14 Both of you should look into Daniel OConnor's videos. He doesn't account for soil pressure as much as he does drainage (though, he does tend to use the rebar and cement fill on walls that are straightened). From what I gather, if you seal the bricks they fill with water and degrade.
Why was concrete block chosen for foundation walls, especially in areas with deep frost depths (6 feet plus) with pronounced seasonal freeze and thaw cycles??
Agree. I'd never even look at house with block foundation walls. Too inherently weak compared to poured concrete, especially in any region that has ground freeze during winter months.
Since the materials are intended for outdoor use, this should be equally applicable there. That said, if it’s reinforced concrete you shouldn’t need it. Plain concrete you likely will.
Steel beams are cheaper, more robust, easier to install, faster to install, can be installed over previously painted walls, and hold up forever even when water is an issue. What happens when that thinset starts to flake and lose adhesion due to years of trapped moisture inside the wall?
Lateral soil pressure and underground tree roots cause many walls to bow in, crack, leaky basements. Fairfax County VA says homeowners need to dig out the expansive clay, roots and waterproof the exterior of wall and backfill with most-all gravel/sand, so do i. Amherst NY soil study done by US Army Corps Engineers -> lateral soil pressure causes basement walls to crack, leak, bow in, so does Donan engineering and so does J Mann PE -> Structural 101, says same thing which are lateral soil pressure and tree roots certainly cause these problems, problems are on the exterior, NOT interior. Carbon straps, wall anchors and interior basement drainage systems do NOT remove, reduce lateral soil pressure, they don't remove roots off walls and they don't seal-repair-waterproof any of the existing exterior cracks where water first enters into the cores of the blocks, causes mold, efflorescence on inside walls and termites, mice, insects, radon gas also enter through these exterior cracks that apparently you are not at all concerned with, ok lol
I am curious if one could use a beam system to straighten a bowed wall over a few months then, remove the beams and use this process to reinforce the wall to keep it straight.
Do a google search for "structural engineer near me". You want to look for someone local, not a large firm. Large firms tend to not want to bother. Also, there are national franchises like Criterium Engineers, which are local offices with one to five engineers. That's exactly the type of firm you want.
Question for anyone. Looking at a house that had one basement foundation wall rebuilt with cinder block...by a professional company. Built on a hill that slopes towards the house. 100 year old house. Told the wall kept leaking and couldn't be repaired. Looks o.k from the inside, but on the outside of the house the long trench that was dug out to make the repairs wasn't filled back in. Also, a long black drainage pipe was not installed either. This house is for sale. Real Estate agent said he can get the dirt filled back in "if we want". Does anyone know if that trench should have been refilled with dirt and.drainage pipe laid? I saw no gravel or sand in the trench. It looks like the repair company did 80% of the job then walked away. Would dirt not have been out back on that wall to keep pressure off of it? Thoughts?
Jim Bike from what little I know, if you have an exposed wall the ‘frost line’ no longer applies since cold air can get down into that trench. This could lead to ‘heaving’ as the ground and water freeze from under your footers. Idd fill of if you can. But now that it’s exposed can you do the weeping tile thing first? Also treate that wall to waterproofing.
you can find EIFS at home depot now EIFS mesh www.homedepot.com/p/BOEN-38-in-x-150-ft-Non-Adhesive-EIFS-Stucco-Mesh-EM-38150/203071686 Thinset www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-Building-Products-FlexBond-Gray-50-lbs-Fortified-Thin-Set-Mortar-FB50/100122448#product-overview sucks if your wall is painted. much more sanding will need to be done vs carbon strips. but it seems this is stronger AND cheaper. I'm going to test it out.
Alan, just to let you know, I did the full (3-layers of fiberglass), on 3 walls of our basement. It has worked fabulously! 👍
It's so strange that the industry-standard solution is more expensive and less strong. The world needs more innovative people like you!
Alan, after 5-yrs with the 3-layers, no problems at all! And, the walls are waterproof 👍
I knew it. I have been doing this method for years and have not had concrete proof until now, other than never going back to the job for failure. This proves it's a better process than carbon fiber strips, which are usually installed wrong to begin with! In conjunction with steel i beams a wall will never move again! Would love to contact you and share some of the jobs and walls I have saved
I'd love to hear your results also. This is the route I'll take to reinforce a slightly damaged wall, not bowing, but showing cracks. I removed the cause/source of the water pressure and stopped the leaks first. Next will be fixing the wall.
Thanks so much Alan. I'm researching to how reinforce an 8' section of my basement wall which shows signs of hydrostatic cracking (mild). I removed all the water problems that caused the issue. Very much appreciate your thorough discussion on the subject, and the bonus experiments at the end. :) Thanks again!
What did you go with? I’m currently in the situation you were in. How did it fare through time?
Very informative video. I am going to be looking at a possible purchase of a house with a reported cinder block basement wall issue. This video give me more confidence in understanding at least some of the issues involved and possible remedies. Thanks!
Excellent information from a structural engineer. There are far too many TH-cam "experts" I've seen giving DYI'ers information on how to fix structural foundations issues (not relatively simple water penetration issues). Always hire a structural engineer to review your situation and provide recommendations on how to address, then decide if it is possible to DYI or if you need to hire an experienced contractor.
thank you so much for making this video....you are a genius my friend. God bless
Very interesting. Great video! I would do this except the previous owners dry locked the entire wall. I would be grinding for days. Thanks.
I’m a structural engineer in Cbus and enjoyed your video. I may try to build. sample myself.
Really appreciated, well explained with sound & meaningful information, thanks!
A few questions on your excellent video:
1. What are the cost comparisons between carbon fiber and fiberglass mesh? (4.5 oz. and 3 layer)
2. What kinds of waterproofing does thinset offer? Will it stand up in wet conditions?
3. Carbon fiber kits I have seen recommend tying in the top of the mesh to the plate. Do you recommend this and if so, how?
Thanks.
The repair you described at the end matches a repair I saw in a basement in Parma, OH that I have in a purchase contract. Your video helps describe it so I know better what I am dealing with before I get an inspection.
On another note viscosity and adhesion are also important, right? Fiberglass is much more flexible than carbon fiber. Fiberglass, even if it didn't break, should actually allow the wall to bow and bend with it to an extant over time, whereas carbon fiber is more rigid. Maybe your analysis of fiberglass cloth repair would be better measuring the bowing that pressure is causing, while the carbon fiber is probably practically rigid.
just what i was looking for..you saved me alot of money
I'm 7 years late to this discussion, but I really appreciate the innovative simple R&D.
To me the worst part would be the initial grinding phase, including effort and dust. I wonder if an air operated needle de-scaler would do a good enough job of scarifying the existing concrete surface? If so, a water trickle at the needles would eliminate most dust and allow for continuous wet-vac cleanup on the floor. Another idea might be to skip the grinding and use diluted muriatic acid (brick cleaner), to etch the concrete strips, with precautions of course.
What year did they start adding the rebar and concrete to the blocks when first building?
Very much appreciated, thank you.
Steel beams are cheaper than carbon fiber (or at least very similar in price) you can jack them too which will allow for 12 tons of pressure pushing back on the wall. I personally don't like carbon fiber strips.
Thank you for this work and insight. I am curious as to your thoughts on the thin set mesh method holding up over 20-50 years against 3000 lbs/lineal foot?
Great video, thanks so much!
Great video. Thank you for this. Information with solid facts and testing.
I may use this in an interior cinder block wall with minor cracks. However the mortar in between the blocks seems to be deteriorating from the outside quite badly. I got a foundation repair place involved and they done seem concerned. However Idd like to seal the wall from water from the inside and outside. Would you suggest this on the outside? It’s also a good way to finish the wall to some degree as you said. Any thoughts on water sealing though? Perhaps drywall could go up over it with less likleyhood of moisture getting in?
I have renovated 8' walls before with method 2.
It works very well on cmu block.
The portion of the wall I could not solid fill with mortar, cracked out again.
Thanks for the information, 1 question I get the 3 ' wide horizantol strip . I have a 14' wall I need to fix , so I will put a 3' horizontal strip . How many verticle strips will I need , Evevery 2' ?
Great video! I'm in the Pacific Northwest on a block foundation. I am attempting to earthquake retrofit the foundation in a cost-effective manner. Here we are very concerned as you can well imagine with the twisting moment of our foundation walls. Would you recommend your fiberglass treatment over carbon fiber?
Thank you so much for your advice!
Great presentation!
Do you suggest removing paint if the walls have been painted? Great information/video
From a simple google search, it appears that thinset is not going to adhere as well to painted surfaces as it would to porous such as bare concrete.
I’m no expert but I would still say yes, especially if you’re dealing with something over 50 years old. Masonry work of any type needs to breathe and weep moisture. Latex moisture traps moisture in any cement, brick, or stone, and begins its decay.
I'm wondering if I can use bonding epoxy over 3 layers of 4.5 oz mesh, in lieu of the the thinset, then paint over it? This video is great!
curious how this would work on a hollow cinderblock. I have 3/4 of a inch of movement on the wall.
What are the long-term deflection characteristics of fiberglass mesh? It's strong but perhaps over the years it would still allow bending. Also, is there no significant risk of the adhesion between the fiberglass and the wall give with time?
Could I use concrete blocks to replace a basement door in the foundation made of poured concrete
Allen, my foundation walls are cinder block. Is there any way to stop or prevent them from leaking?
I have the same problem
@@nursebynight14 Both of you should look into Daniel OConnor's videos. He doesn't account for soil pressure as much as he does drainage (though, he does tend to use the rebar and cement fill on walls that are straightened). From what I gather, if you seal the bricks they fill with water and degrade.
Why was concrete block chosen for foundation walls, especially in areas with deep frost depths (6 feet plus) with pronounced seasonal freeze and thaw cycles??
Agree. I'd never even look at house with block foundation walls. Too inherently weak compared to poured concrete, especially in any region that has ground freeze during winter months.
Good information. Thankyou! Where do I get this fiber mesh to put on in three layers?
Thanks for the great video!
Do you apply all 3 layers of mesh at the same time or do you apply 1 layer, let thinset dry and apply 2nd layer ? Thanks !
Thank you. What are your thoughts on using this process for exterior poured concrete retaining walls?
Since the materials are intended for outdoor use, this should be equally applicable there. That said, if it’s reinforced concrete you shouldn’t need it. Plain concrete you likely will.
Steel beams are cheaper, more robust, easier to install, faster to install, can be installed over previously painted walls, and hold up forever even when water is an issue.
What happens when that thinset starts to flake and lose adhesion due to years of trapped moisture inside the wall?
So am I understanding this correct? You are comparing 2" of carbon fiber to 3 layers of 4" wide fiberglass?
What type of fiberglass mesh are you using?
Did you ever test the two layers of mesh with thinset? I'd curious how that performs vs the 3 layer.
Lateral soil pressure and underground tree roots cause many walls to bow in, crack, leaky basements. Fairfax County VA says homeowners need to dig out the expansive clay, roots and waterproof the exterior of wall and backfill with most-all gravel/sand, so do i. Amherst NY soil study done by US Army Corps Engineers -> lateral soil pressure causes basement walls to crack, leak, bow in, so does Donan engineering and so does J Mann PE -> Structural 101, says same thing which are lateral soil pressure and tree roots certainly cause these problems, problems are on the exterior, NOT interior. Carbon straps, wall anchors and interior basement drainage systems do NOT remove, reduce lateral soil pressure, they don't remove roots off walls and they don't seal-repair-waterproof any of the existing exterior cracks where water first enters into the cores of the blocks, causes mold, efflorescence on inside walls and termites, mice, insects, radon gas also enter through these exterior cracks that apparently you are not at all concerned with, ok lol
I'd like to see how the block is "chopped" to add rebar.
Heads up, a lot of carbon fiber installer warranties are voided if the CMU gets wet.
I am curious if one could use a beam system to straighten a bowed wall over a few months then, remove the beams and use this process to reinforce the wall to keep it straight.
Apparently they have something called an intellibrace which supposedly straightens the wall over time
Great Video
You remind me of Don Abramowitz, another engineer in Delaware county
Where can you buy this product at and what's the exact name of this product
Do you ever actually repair foundations or just give oral demonstrations ?
Would this work nearly as well if the wall is painted?
Probably best to remove paint. Thinset adheres better to unpainted.
How do I find a structural engineer that can do this in my basement?
Do a google search for "structural engineer near me". You want to look for someone local, not a large firm. Large firms tend to not want to bother. Also, there are national franchises like Criterium Engineers, which are local offices with one to five engineers. That's exactly the type of firm you want.
Question for anyone. Looking at a house that had one basement foundation wall rebuilt with cinder block...by a professional company. Built on a hill that slopes towards the house. 100 year old house. Told the wall kept leaking and couldn't be repaired. Looks o.k from the inside, but on the outside of the house the long trench that was dug out to make the repairs wasn't filled back in. Also, a long black drainage pipe was not installed either. This house is for sale. Real Estate agent said he can get the dirt filled back in "if we want". Does anyone know if that trench should have been refilled with dirt and.drainage pipe laid? I saw no gravel or sand in the trench. It looks like the repair company did 80% of the job then walked away. Would dirt not have been out back on that wall to keep pressure off of it? Thoughts?
That's one way to relieve soil and hydraulic pressure
Jim Bike from what little I know, if you have an exposed wall the ‘frost line’ no longer applies since cold air can get down into that trench. This could lead to ‘heaving’ as the ground and water freeze from under your footers. Idd fill of if you can. But now that it’s exposed can you do the weeping tile thing first? Also treate that wall to waterproofing.
I would say to remove the dirt against the house and start over, you never know what they did!
you can find EIFS at home depot now
EIFS mesh www.homedepot.com/p/BOEN-38-in-x-150-ft-Non-Adhesive-EIFS-Stucco-Mesh-EM-38150/203071686
Thinset www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-Building-Products-FlexBond-Gray-50-lbs-Fortified-Thin-Set-Mortar-FB50/100122448#product-overview
sucks if your wall is painted. much more sanding will need to be done vs carbon strips. but it seems this is stronger AND cheaper.
I'm going to test it out.
What if I want a lake?
Basement swimming pool bonus