Why Using Carbon Fiber Is One Of The Best Foundation Repair Solutions Downers Grove, IL
Does your home have a basement? Are the basement walls showing signs of movement? Foundation wall movement is a common challenge faced by homeowners. The foundation walls are not only under vertical pressure as a result of supporting the building above them, but also horizontal pressure from the soils surrounding them.
Homes with poor drainage systems or high water tables often suffer foundation damage as a result of increased hydrostatic pressure acting against the basement wall. Horizontal cracks on the basement walls are one of the first signs of damage.
Aside from resolving the drainage problem, the damaged walls will need to be reinforced. There are various traditional methods used for this. These include:
- Installing earth anchors in a tie-back system – This resists the earth pressure and holds the wall in place.
- Installing steel I-beams – These beams transfer the horizontal pressure on the wall to the floor or the joists above and thus resist movement.
- Replacing the damaged potion of the foundation wall
Why carbon fiber straps outperform traditional reinforcement methods 
The traditional methods used to reinforce bowing foundation walls are not only costly to install but also messy and labor-intensive. They are also not very effective at restraining the walls and preventing further movement. This is because these methods do not address a key engineering factor that causes the bowing and cracking of the foundation walls: the lack of tensile strength in the wall.
Foundation walls are able to effectively resist compression forces which act vertically, e.g. the weight of the building on the foundation. They are, however, ineffective at resisting the horizontal force of the soil as they lack tensile strength.
Carbon fiber straps provide foundation walls with the tensile strength they need to resist further movement. Carbon fiber straps consist of interwoven strands of a polymer that has undergone several heating cycles to achieve extra strong bonds between the molecules. A steel I-beam can only resist up to 40,000 pounds of tension. A carbon fiber strap that is less than an 1/8th inch thick can resist up to 10 times that much pressure. 
Carbon fiber therefore provides the reinforcement that foundation walls require to stop the movement and prevent further cracking. They are therefore the most effective solution for repairing bowing basement walls. Be sure to talk to a foundation repair contractor to learn more about this solution and whether it would be a good option for your foundation.
Contact the Professionals at Everdry Waterproofing Illinois Today! (630) 769-9300
All waterproofing companies have to make a choice. They can assume an attitude of, “no one’s perfect,” and “the homeowner won’t notice that,” or “close enough.” Or they can do what Everdry Illinois does… and insist on strict standards and absolute precision.
And while waterproofing contractors in Illinois, unfortunately, choose the “close enough” route, Everdry Illinois has committed to the highest standards of service and installation. We always, always, ALWAYS do it the RIGHT WAY.
In addition to our excellent professionals, we have also carefully built a top team of managers and office support people. The office support staff are exceptionally skilled at listening to what you want and then making the right recommendations for your budget and tastes.
The office support people are well-trained to avoid the typical frustrations of “I don’t know” answers. (And if they really don’t know, they’ll get you to the right person). The typical customer service frustrations that are so common nowadays are not the “Everdry way”.
Creating dry, healthy basements for 40+ years.