Replies

1. 
   DaveRicheson | May 22, 2005 06:47pm | #1

   What kind of foundation wall, block or poured?

   There was an article in JLC a some time ago about a system used to repair/reinforce foundation walls. You might want to search the archieves. IIRC the system was fairly  specific about types of foundation and the methods/material used for each.

   I'll see if I can locate the article later today.

    

   Dave

1. 
   Kuba | May 22, 2005 08:13pm | #2

   The foundation is a poured concrete foundation. The house ws built around the 20's so that might mean their should be some consideration as to the footings. It may be poued onto a thickened slab? Thanks

2. 
   BillHartmann | May 22, 2005 08:31pm | #3

   In the end you will really need a structural engineer to specify the fix.

   Two common ones are to install vertical i-beam with the bottom set into the floor and the top supported by bracing to the joist. And the crack is filled with epoxy sealant.

   The other is that holes are drilled into the foundation and screw type of anchor are installed pull out on the wall.

   JLC has an article on the former about 3-4 years ago. And a year later the there was an article on the later. But I don't remember if it was also JLC or FHB.

   But you also need to find and fix the source of the problem. WATER. Water needs to be kept away from the house. Gutters are needed and they need to be piped away. And my guess is that this side is download from water flow from a hill side. Either drains system is need and/or the ground contoured to for a swhale to direct the water way from the house.

   My friend bougth a house just like that. Over they years you can see that a lot of work was done to try and get rid of water AFTER it got into the basement. But the problems where never solved and the foundation buckelled over 4" in at the top.

   They had gutter drains, but did not get it away from the house. However, the gutters where all clogged up so they did not work anyway. Had a catch basin yard, but was at a high spot and did not catch any water. And the patio had sunk down directing water towards the house.

   Had I beams installed and fixed the yard drainage issues and mud jacked the patio.

   Have not seen a drop of water inside since and the only time the sump has ever ran when when I put a hose it to test it.

   I finished off the basement last year.

   BTW, The rim joist might now be off the mudsill a bit from the wall pushing in. I am not a pro, but I don't see any signs of it having a problem and the engineer that speced the i-beams never mentioned it.

   But it is a source of cold air.

3. 
   Dinosaur | May 22, 2005 08:52pm | #4

   What is the sunroom sitting on, and how high is it off the ground?

   What I'm getting at is that it may be necessary, unpleasant as the thought is, to excavate under the sunroom by hand. Something is pushing that wall in, and you're gonna have to address whatever it is one way or another.

    

   Dinosaur

   A day may come when the courage of men fails,when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship...

   

   But it is not this day.

1. 
   Piffin | May 22, 2005 09:27pm | #5

   Same thought.Additionally, I'm betting that when the sunroom was added, they may have compromised whatever perimeter drainage tile was left from eighty years ago, and that the surface runoff was hamperd by the sunroom p[lacement, leaving the water no place to go other than straight down to swell the soils there and puch the wall in. Betting there is a low spot right in the corner intersection where water is allowed to sit. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   Dinosaur | May 23, 2005 12:33am | #6

   Well, eighty years is not a bad run for a French drain, assuming that's what they put in back then. Would likely have been terra-cotta pipe and river pebbles, with some straw dumped on top to keep the silt out of the pebbles. Only way to find out is to go look....

   Excavation under that sunroom will likely mean setting up temporary beams under it, supported by cribbing set on ground that will remain untouched, ie: four cribs, two on each side. If he's really lucky, he'll have enough elbow room to be able to get in there with a mini-excavator and dig an access pit in front of that sunroom. Then he can drive down into the pit and undermine the sunroom from below ground level. Otherwise I hope he's got a plentiful source of enthusiastic strong young bucks...and not too many boulders....

   You know, the more I think about it, the more I am tempted to suggest just cutting the sunroom off the house and moving it out of the way for a while, then nailing it back on once the foundation's been squared away. Might be easier and faster, especially  if he's got a convenient place to park it out in the yard and can just roll it down a set of tracks instead of having to trailer it somewhere....

   Dinosaur

   A day may come when the courage of men fails,when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship...

   But it is not this day.

4. 
   DanH | May 23, 2005 03:03am | #7

   There are various proprietary "systems" for handling this sort of thing. Basically, they dig a vertical hole out in the yard, then bore a hole through the foundation and push a rod out to the vertical hole. A deadman is hooked to the rod, a spreader/brace is sliped over the inside end of the rod, and then it's wrenched tight.

   There are some systems that don't require the vertical hole -- instead the deadman is driven into ground, or dragged in with a cable (in place of the rod). I think there are even some that are installed entirely from the inside, kind of like toggle bolts.

   I'm not sure if these systems can go the distance to handle the sunroom situation,though.

   Another option is to demo the wall and rebuild it.

1. 
   Kuba | May 23, 2005 04:34am | #8

   I have no problem with demoing the wall but can I do it from the inside without ruining the structure of the house or the sunroom. Will shoring the the floor joists to make a load bearing wall be enough???

1. 
   DanH | May 23, 2005 06:21pm | #9

   This obviously depends on the situation -- load on the wall in question (which includes stuff like floor joist direction), amount of working room in the basement, etc. Also depends on the width of the bulge, stabity of soil, etc. Under the right conditions it's doable and not too unreasonable.Another option that could be a little spendy but which would move things along quickly is to get a dirt vac in there to excavate, under the sunroom (if there's something resembling a crawlspace). Use this in conjunction with wall replacement or with pushing the wall back and bracing it.

2. 
   davidmeiland | May 23, 2005 10:47pm | #10

   I've done some work like you're describing. Sometimes it's easy to say that there's no disturbing the interior space, but what I'd do is clear out the sunroom, open a nice hole in the floor, maybe 4' x 6', and give myself some room to work. Depending on the situation it can be MUCH easier to redo the floor than to work entirely below it.