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Cracked basement wall with visible deterioration, next to a white washing machine.

Why Foundation Walls Crack and Bow

Those seemingly small cracks and bows in foundation walls aren't major issues, are they?

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If you live in West Virginia, you may be accustomed to seeing cracks and bows in foundation walls. Most people aren’t overly concerned about these, but they should be.

Those cracks and bows indicate that your foundation walls are beginning to lose their structural integrity. Over time, these issues will become worse — the cracks will become more pronounced, and the bows will become even larger. At some point, when the foundation weakens enough, the wall can simply collapse, leaving homeowners with a huge mess and a very costly clean up and repair expense.

Most people don’t realize it, but a lot of pressure is exerted on foundation walls from the earth surrounding a basement, from the water in the soil that freezes and thaws, and from clay soil that expands and contracts. When the pressure becomes more than the wall can handle, the wall will crack and begin to push inward. This pressure can eventually lead to collapse.

Basement Authority of West Virginia never likes it when this occurs because we know that a relatively simple and inexpensive repair when the foundation wall started bowing and cracking becomes a very expensive and messy repair if the wall collapses. And since Basement Authority of West Virginia offers free, no obligation inspections, we know that there is really no reason why you shouldn’t have an expert look at your foundation when those cracks and bows first start to occur.

Contact us today to schedule a free, no obligation inspection of your foundation!

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Charleston

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Charleston, WV

132 Rocky Step Rd.,
Scott Depot, WV 25560