Basement Waterproofing and Foundation Repair in Wheeling, WV

Wall anchors are one of the most common and effective products for repairing bowing, leaning, or buckling walls in a Pittsburgh property’s basement. Of course, there are other possible repair options, each with their own benefits and limitations, but wall anchors are some of the most effective when they are compatible with the home and situation. The main limitation of wall anchors, of course, is their need for a certain amount of exterior space to ensure proper installation.

The first step in wall anchor installation, of course, is to assess the damage to the wall and map out where the anchors should be placed, both internally and externally. This process will require some level of excavation and can be disruptive, but it is relatively short. The earth anchors themselves must be placed in the earth at least 10 feet from the outside of your foundation wall. Meanwhile, on the inside of your home, holes must be drilled so that steel rods can be fed through and connected to the earth anchors.

The other ends of these steel rods then are attached to the wall plates that are mounted in strategically placed areas. Once connected, these rods will be instrumental in stabilizing and straightening a damaged wall. This is achieved by tightening them over time to apply more pressure to the wall by using the earth anchor. Once your wall anchors have been fully installed, inside and out, the excavation points will be covered up and restored to ensure a flawless finish.

Foundation damage is a serious issue that should never be underestimated. As well as being severe, foundation issues are notorious for growing at an exponential rate and having an impact on the wider structure of a property. From your walls to your floors and all the way to your roof, every part of your Pittsburgh property is dependent on your foundation for support and stability. Any movement or destabilization in your foundation will leave the door open for serious damage.

So, as you might imagine, we recommend that you deal with foundation damage as soon as you see the warning signs. Many property owners prefer to wait until a problem becomes impossible to ignore before they act, of course, but there are a few good reasons as to why you should not do this. The dangers of waiting too long are very simple. The longer you wait to fix foundation issues, the more likely they are to grow and spread to other parts of your home. This can lead to all forms of secondary and tertiary damage like dampness, wood rot, and mold formation. All these issues present unique dangers to your health and home.

The benefits of acting as soon as you see signs of foundation damage, of course, are just as simple and powerful as the drawbacks of waiting too long. If you deal with foundation damage as soon as you see it, then you will make the process of repair much simpler and far less expensive. In fact, the cost of repairs will get more and more expensive over a very short period of time. It will also prevent the formation of secondary issues (for example, the formation of mold, which could be harmful to your health and wellbeing). There is also a lower chance that you will need serious cosmetic repair if you act quickly.

While this is a simple question, the answer can be complex. To keep it short and sweet: most forms of mold are benign, if not exactly healthy to have in your home, but a small number of mold species are toxic. Identifying those types of molds that are actively dangerous can be difficult, however, because mold and fungal growths come in thousands of species. The fungal growths that occur as a result of wood rot, for example, can look similar to white forms of mold but are generally not harmful to humans unless ingested (though they will wreak havoc on your home).

The type of mold that you should be most worried about, however, is black mold. Black mold is highly toxic to humans and animals; it can cause serious side effects even when the level of exposure is small. Black mold can cause side effects such as rashes, skin irritation, infections, dizziness, breathlessness, respiratory issues, and, in some very serious cases, seizures. More serious side effects are rare, of course, and tend to only occur after prolonged exposure… unless there are underlying issues.

As is so often the case, those who are already vulnerable are at the most risk from exposure to any kind of mold but particularly when exposed to black mold in any serious or prolonged capacity. Those most at risk are the elderly, very young children, those who have underlying respiratory issues such as asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema, and those who have impaired immune systems. While exposure to black mold can be unpleasant and debilitating for anyone in large doses, even a small amount of exposure can be lethal to people who have underlying conditions. That makes it necessary to seek out waterproofing measures that can protect your home from falling victim to this kind of infestation.

If you have noticed certain walls around your home starting to look like they are bowing or building inward, then there are a few potential issues that could be at work. The most obvious (and yet least common) cause of uneven, damaged, or bowing walls is some kind of defect in the wall itself. This can take two main forms: design flaws or defects in the concrete mix itself. Either way, the flaws caused by these kinds of issues will make a wall much weaker and lead to many issues of which bowing is only one.

Far more common, however, is damage as a result of excessive pressure or a lack of support. Hydrostatic pressure, for example, is one of the leading causes of bowing, leaning, or collapsing walls. This pressure is caused by the weight of the soil around the walls, of course, but also by the water in the soil. As such, this is an issue that all properties have to deal with at some point; in fact, they are designed to deal with it. The main issue arises when the hydrostatic pressure in the soil reaches unmanageable levels. This can be caused by a number of things, including heavy rainfall, the presence of underground water sources, copious snowmelt, or even just poor drainage around the property.

Finally, there is a chance that lateral or vertical movement in your property’s foundation will lead to damage that destabilizes your basement walls. Spreading cracks that separate the foundation of your home from the walls in some areas, for example, will lead to movement and make the walls more vulnerable to movement, leaning, and localized collapse. Of course, there are some problem signs that will show long before the walls themselves begin to lean or buckle visibly. The most common signs are spreading cracks, dampness, humidity, and mold formation. If you act when you see these early signs, then you could prevent your walls from leaning or bowing at all.