Buckled walls are usually caused by settling.. This is very common and expensive to repair. Sometimes the wall moves at the top, sometimes in the middle, and sometimes at the bottom. Each has its own problem and solution.
If it has moved at the bottom and broken off the bottom block, the wall must be replaces, as it has lost all of its strength. If it has moved in the middle, and there is an extensive horizontal crack, it is a judgment call as to whether the wall needs to be replaced. Usually the minimum that must be done is the pressure must be removed from the wall. This is done by digging to the footer level, and installing a field of crushed limestone between the earth and wall. The room between the pieces of limestone absorbs the pressure from the soil, removing it from the wall. Rebar pours or braces are often needed to reinforce the wall.
Buckled walls are covered in Section I of The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z. Remember: in the waterproofing business it is “buyer beware”. Most salesmen charge as much as they can. They get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. If they see a problem that can be fixed at low cost, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to frighten you into signing a big contract.
You can save thousands of dollars and many headaches by learning what is going on first. Often what looks like an expensive and serious problem may not be. Once the problem is explained, solving it is just common sense. I’ve used the knowledge I’ve put in The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z every day to fix water problems. It will work for you too.
But remember, when dealing with salesmen, in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed at low cost, or one that has a simple solution, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to scare you into signing a big contract.
