Why Are My Walls Tilted?

If you have noticed a lean or tilt to your basement walls, you should call a professional foundation repair company. Tilted or bowing walls are generally caused by foundational or structural damage that renders your home unable to withstand its own weight and the pressure of the soil around it. The most common causes of tilted or bowed walls are: 

• Excess Hydrostatic Pressure 

Every property is subject to some level of hydrostatic pressure because of the water in the soil around the foundation. Excessive hydrostatic pressure on your basement walls, however, can cause them to shift inward or bulge in the middle. If this is the cause, you will notice that any cracks that form will often allow water into your property. 

A sudden increase in hydrostatic pressure is often caused by extreme weather, expansive soil, underground water sources, or loose/weak backfill soil around a property. You can manage or otherwise mitigate this by ensuring that you have proper drainage solutions in place, but once the damage is done there is no way to fix a bowing wall without intervention. 

• Settlement or a Sinking Foundation 

Excessively dry or wet soil can cause damage to your foundation as a result of improper support. This will usually manifest as either cracking and settling or uneven sinking. This puts extra pressure on your walls and can cause them to bow over time. Certain kinds of soil are more prone to causing these issues than others. They are known as expansive soils. 

The most common expansive soils are clay-based soils. They are called expansive soils because of the way they change in size based on their water content. As they become saturated, they expand and put pressure on a property, but when they are dehydrated, they shrink and can leave properties without the support that they need. This is what leads to settlement in a foundation.