Steel beams keep basement walls standing strong

Forever Foundation Repair installs hot dipped galvanized steel beams that carry a 35-year warranty and provide an expected lifetime of several hundred years. We created and use the strongest steel beam brackets on the market to keep your basement walls standing strong against the pressures of expansive soil.

How is the steel beam system installed and work:

• The steel beams are cut to the correct height
• The floor plate is mounted to the floor to hold the steel beam in place
• The floor joist bracket is installed mounted to the floor joist
• Floor joists are reinforced depending which way the floor joist is installed
• The steel beam is installed and the adjustable torque bracket is tightened

Common Questions

Do I have to excavate my basement wall?

That depends on how severe the basement wall has bowed. In most situations, the basement wall can be stabilized or the adjustable torque bolt can be tightened slightly each month which will allow the constant pressure to slowly push the basement wall straight over time

What if my basement wall is severely bowed?

If that is the case, our process is to:

• Install the steel beams
• The utilities are marked and the wall is excavated to remove dirt away from the wall
• The torque bolts are tightened to immediately straighten the basement wall
• A rubberized coating is applied to the exterior with water protection board and the soil is backfilled

How many days will my job take?

Most jobs take one to two days.

Will my basement wall ever bow or move again after the steel beam systems are installed?

No! That is not possible and Forever Foundation Repair’s steel beam systems come with a 35-year warranty.

The local contractor said if I just excavate out the soil along the wall and backfill with stone it will take the pressure off the wall and the wall will not bow or move anymore, is that true?

No. This is the general idea that most general contractors have, but there is still dirt behind the stone pushing the stone into the basement wall. Stone backfill will not help the bowing basement wall at all. Taking advice from a local contractor is like seeing a family doctor for heart surgery. It is best to call a foundation specialist to get accurate advice.

The local contractor said I just need a new basement wall, is that true?

In most cases, no, typically the local contractor does not have the required knowledge to fix and repair the basement wall, so they assume it is the only option. Taking advice from a local contractor is like seeing a family doctor for heart surgery. It is best to call a foundation specialist to get accurate advice.

What if my basement wall is bowing and I install an all-new basement wall?

In most cases, the new basement wall will also fail to due to soil pressure and in the process, the contractor will likely change how the weight of the house is distributed allowing the other basement walls to start moving

Why is it important to use galvanized steel beams?

Some basements can be very humid, so when some companies install steel beams that are spray painted the paint will eventually rust and over time the beams start to rust rot and spread apart, leaving the customer with additional expenses. Using a quality product is a very important part of your investment.

My basement wall is bowing but it has been like that for a long time, should I fix the wall?

If the basement wall has started to bow or tilt it has likely broken free from any reinforcements that were installed in the basement wall when constructed, so eventually the basement wall will move

What if I don’t stabilize my basement wall? It really isn’t that bad.

The basement wall may not be that bad right now but if you get three weeks of heavy rain and the soil dramatically expands your basement wall could go from not so bad to having the basement wall laying in the basement floor.

YES, WE HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES, EVERY FEW YEARS.

In addition, the more common things we see are the utilities that run through your basement wall, like the water line and the gas line, typically both come in the basement wall and then make a 90 degree turn up to the first story. When the wall is bowing, usually the wall starts to push the gas or water fittings, which eventually cracks the fittings and leaves gas or water pouring into your basement. Unfortunately, these things do happen and cause serious problems.