Basement wall repair in Cheyenne

Basement wall repair stops a foundation wall from moving further inward and, where possible, brings it back toward plumb. It's for Cheyenne and Laramie County homeowners whose block or poured concrete basement walls have a horizontal crack, have bowed or leaned, or have shifted at the bottom. We connect you with a foundation contractor who measures the wall and explains the options.

What are the signs of a failing basement wall?

• A long horizontal crack partway up a poured wall
• Stair-step cracks through the mortar of a block wall
• A wall that bulges in the middle when you sight along it
• The top of the wall leaning in, or the bottom kicked inward at the floor
• Gaps opening between the wall and the floor joists above it
• Damp spots or efflorescence along the crack line

Why do basement walls bow here?

A basement wall is a retaining wall with a house on top. The soil outside pushes on it all the time, and that push goes up when the soil is wet. In Cheyenne the big wetting events are spring snowmelt from drifts piled against the house and summer storms that overwhelm gutters. Clay-rich backfill holds that water against the wall, and the Wyoming State Geological Survey notes that expansive clays can change volume a lot as their moisture changes. Freezing adds pressure too: Cheyenne's average last spring freeze isn't until mid-May, so saturated soil near the surface can freeze and thaw many times in a season. Over years, those pushes add up to a crack, then a bow.

What are the repair options?

• Wall anchors. Steel rods run from a plate on the inside face of the wall through the soil to an anchor plate buried in the yard. They're tightened over time and can sometimes pull a wall back a little. They need open yard space beside the house.
• Steel braces. Vertical steel beams set against the wall and fastened to the floor and the framing above. Good where there's no room outside for anchors, such as next to a driveway or neighbor's house.
• Carbon fiber straps. Epoxied to walls that have cracked but moved only a small amount. They hold a wall where it is; they don't straighten it.
• Excavate and rebuild. For walls that have moved too far or are crumbling, the soil is dug out, the wall is rebuilt or straightened, and the outside is waterproofed and backfilled with draining material.

What affects the cost?

We don't quote prices; the contractor does after measuring the wall. What moves the number: the wall's length and how far it has moved, block versus poured concrete, which method fits the site, how much has to be moved or cleared inside the basement (finished walls, stairs, utilities), whether excavation is needed, and whether an engineer's design or a permit is required. Drainage work outside, which nearly every bowed wall needs, is often priced separately.

Should I fix it or wait?

A wall with a hairline horizontal crack and no measurable lean can sometimes be monitored. Mark the crack ends, measure the wall's lean with a level from top to bottom, and check again after spring melt. If either is changing, get it evaluated. Once a wall has moved an inch or two, the cheaper stabilization options start to drop off the table.

Where we connect you with help

• Cheyenne
• Ranchettes
• South Greeley
• Pine Bluffs
• Burns

Related services

• Foundation piers for settlement
• Heaving basement floors
• Foundation crack repair
• Foundation inspections and engineer reports

More background: Laramie County foundation repair guide.