Wall Leaning? Wall Anchor the Answer?

Is your basement wall bowing over 2 inches? Wall anchors may be the answer. Wall anchors are simple in design with just 3 main parts - 2 steel plates connected by one  metal shaft. One plate is buried in the yard and the other plate sits against the bowing wall. The metal shaft connects the two plates and the shaft is tightened to apply force to the wall. The installer knows the proper torque to apply to the shaft to hold the wall in tension against movement.  

The outside plate is generally about 10 feet out in the yard. The plates (anchors) are placed about 5 feet apart. If you have a wall that is 24 feet long you’ll need 4 anchors. They cost about 1000.00 each. They are not designed specifically to straighten a wall, although they may help, but more to stabilize the wall to keep it from moving further. 

So, if you’ve made an offer on your dream home only to find a leaning wall during your inspection, don’t lose hope. Wall anchors may be just the ticket to repair. I see wall anchor systems in the Dayton, Ohio area from time to time when showing homes and know that they can work when installed as designed. If you have further questions about structural options please reach out - I have a variety of resources to pull from.