BOWED BASEMENT WALLS

Why are my basement walls bowing, leaning, or cracking?

Walls that are bowing, leaning, and/or cracking are showing serious signs of excessive exterior stress. Let's look at some possibilities.

• Tree roots. Believe it or not, the roots of a tree planted too closely to your house can begin to exert significant pressure on exterior walls.
• Expanding clay deposits. When too much water is allowed to infiltrate the soil outside your basement walls, it will cause clay deposits to expand, pushing in on the walls.
• Poor grading, cluttered gutters, badly placed downspouts. Any of these problems can cause the above-mentioned problem of expanding clay deposits, contributing to pressure against your walls.
• Plumbing leaks can undermine the structural integrity even of concrete walls, over time.

Damp or leaking basement

Is water getting into your basement?

First, it's important to know that it's not always obvious if your basement is allowing water in, or of hydrostatic pressure against your basement walls. Yes, you might come home after a heavy rain to a flooded basement, or see actual water running down the walls. But you should also look for less obvious signs:

• Stains on walls. There are different types of wall stains, ranging from harmless to dangerous to human health, but most are a sign of moisture that has found its way inside. An expert can determine just what kind of stain you're looking at, and how dire the situation is.
• Puddles along wall/floor seams. That water got in somehow, and it's probably not your kids' faults, though, don't rule anything out just yet! If you see puddles of water at the bottoms of your basement walls, it could indicate a problem you'll need to deal with soon.
• Cracking or bowing walls. We cover this problem on its own above, but it's crucial to understand that these are often inter-related issues. Cracking or bowing walls are often a sign of moisture getting into your basement or seeping through your foundation.

How is the water getting in?

If you notice signs of water in your basement, this could be either a symptom of foundation failure, or a problem caused by the same conditions that can lead to foundation failure. Here are a few of those possibilities.

• Clogged gutters. When troubleshooting any problem, start with the easy, least expensive fix. (Is the computer plugged in?) Clogged gutters can cause water to overflow and flood areas around your foundation or basement.
• Poorly placed downspouts. Downspouts should be spaced every 20-30 feet of your roof line, depending on the type of your roof, the slope of your property's grade, and so on. They should never be emptying close to a crawl space or basement window.
• Improper grading. Over a span of eight feet, you should see at least a one-inch drop away from your house. Anything less could spell problems for moisture in your house.