Home Page link

Reinforcing concrete block wall?

Home| Search | About
Login Password
Register Now! Lost Password?

Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here. 

Page 1 of 2       1 2 > last >> Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Reinforcing concrete block wall? mkeary 09-21-2006
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by on September 21, 2006, 4:39 pm
I have a concrete block wall (foundation for a rear single-story
enclosed porch, 10 feet long, 6 blocks high... maybe 3.5-4 feet high?)
that has buckled inward (as much as 6" in center) due to moisture
freezing/expanding in the ground outside. The top course-and-a-half is
above the exterior grade, and the inside of the wall (under the porch
floor) has dirt up about a third of the height.

We have done the following already:
- installed gutters above to route water away from foundation
- dug down to bottom (unmoved) course on both inside and out
- jacked up porch floor to take weight off wall, and shifted blocks
back to plumb
- made plans to fill the 1-foot space immediately outside wall with
stone gravel to improve water drainage
- made plans to grade dirt away from house to improve water drainage

My question: What steps can/should I take to keep the blocks where I
have (re)placed them?

Obviously, the cement seams between the blocks are long-since
compromised. My thoughts include:
- metal mesh bolted to inside of wall (attached to every block) to take
tensile loads of future pressure on outside
- parging cement on inside/outside surfaces to keep moisture from
between blocks
- building buttresses of blocks inside (think steps of blocks,
perpendicular to wall, at say three points along length)
- piling/packing the dirt back aalong the inside wall surface
- pour a concrete/cement buttress along inside length (not easy, since
porch floor is in the way)

Which (combination) of these options would you employ, or what other
suggestions might you have?

Additional info: This house in in upstate NY (Ithaca). We are fixing
up to sell - already have new residence in NJ.

Thanks for any advice,

Teo


Posted by hallerb@aol.com on September 21, 2006, 6:25 pm
There are companies that somehow miraclously fix walls like these but
havent used them

I would install a interior french drain so mo water can ever build up
there again/

We need water to live but uits a homes enemy.

Whatever you do fix it RIGHT so at home resale time its not a big
issue.

probably best to execavate top footer level outside and rebuild wall
completely.

i would stil;l install french drain so it doesnt reoccur. since the
wall moved a lot get a structural engineers opinion


Posted by on September 22, 2006, 6:38 am
at this point, hire a pro or rebuild the wall compleately

Empressess #124457


The best Games


<a href=http://www.gamestotal.com/>Multiplayer Online Games</a> <a
href=http://www.gamestotal.com/>Strategy Games</a><br><a
href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/>Unification Wars</a> - <a
href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/>Massive Multiplayer Online
Games</a><br><a href=http://gc.gamestotal.com/>Galactic Conquest</a> -
<a href=http://gc.gamestotal.com/>Strategy Games</a><br><a
href=http://www.stephenyong.com/runescape.htm>Runescape</a><br><a
href=http://www.stephenyong.com/kingsofchaos.htm>Kings of chaos</a><br>

mkeary@gmail.com wrote:
> I have a concrete block wall (foundation for a rear single-story
> enclosed porch, 10 feet long, 6 blocks high... maybe 3.5-4 feet high?)
> that has buckled inward (as much as 6" in center) due to moisture
> freezing/expanding in the ground outside. The top course-and-a-half is
> above the exterior grade, and the inside of the wall (under the porch
> floor) has dirt up about a third of the height.
>
> We have done the following already:
> - installed gutters above to route water away from foundation
> - dug down to bottom (unmoved) course on both inside and out
> - jacked up porch floor to take weight off wall, and shifted blocks
> back to plumb
> - made plans to fill the 1-foot space immediately outside wall with
> stone gravel to improve water drainage
> - made plans to grade dirt away from house to improve water drainage
>
> My question: What steps can/should I take to keep the blocks where I
> have (re)placed them?
>
> Obviously, the cement seams between the blocks are long-since
> compromised. My thoughts include:
> - metal mesh bolted to inside of wall (attached to every block) to take
> tensile loads of future pressure on outside
> - parging cement on inside/outside surfaces to keep moisture from
> between blocks
> - building buttresses of blocks inside (think steps of blocks,
> perpendicular to wall, at say three points along length)
> - piling/packing the dirt back aalong the inside wall surface
> - pour a concrete/cement buttress along inside length (not easy, since
> porch floor is in the way)
>
> Which (combination) of these options would you employ, or what other
> suggestions might you have?
>
> Additional info: This house in in upstate NY (Ithaca). We are fixing
> up to sell - already have new residence in NJ.
>
> Thanks for any advice,
>
> Teo


Posted by hallerb@aol.com on September 22, 2006, 8:27 am

empress2454@wowway.com wrote:
> at this point, hire a pro or rebuild the wall compleately
>

yeah your selling any patrch job will appear just that and cost you big
bucks. TODAY 90+% want homes in perfect move in condition and get home
inspections.

by patching make do you are elminating 90% of perspective buyers and
that leaves those looking for just a low price:(

You want to give it away:(

I recommend yu yourself get a home inspection from a well known company
and fix everything you can to make selling easier and less stressful...


Posted by Harry K on September 22, 2006, 10:08 am

mkeary@gmail.com wrote:
> I have a concrete block wall (foundation for a rear single-story
> enclosed porch, 10 feet long, 6 blocks high... maybe 3.5-4 feet high?)
> that has buckled inward (as much as 6" in center) due to moisture
> freezing/expanding in the ground outside. The top course-and-a-half is
> above the exterior grade, and the inside of the wall (under the porch
> floor) has dirt up about a third of the height.
>
> We have done the following already:
> - installed gutters above to route water away from foundation
> - dug down to bottom (unmoved) course on both inside and out
> - jacked up porch floor to take weight off wall, and shifted blocks
> back to plumb
> - made plans to fill the 1-foot space immediately outside wall with
> stone gravel to improve water drainage
> - made plans to grade dirt away from house to improve water drainage
>
> My question: What steps can/should I take to keep the blocks where I
> have (re)placed them?
>
> Obviously, the cement seams between the blocks are long-since
> compromised. My thoughts include:
> - metal mesh bolted to inside of wall (attached to every block) to take
> tensile loads of future pressure on outside
> - parging cement on inside/outside surfaces to keep moisture from
> between blocks
> - building buttresses of blocks inside (think steps of blocks,
> perpendicular to wall, at say three points along length)
> - piling/packing the dirt back aalong the inside wall surface
> - pour a concrete/cement buttress along inside length (not easy, since
> porch floor is in the way)
>
> Which (combination) of these options would you employ, or what other
> suggestions might you have?
>
> Additional info: This house in in upstate NY (Ithaca). We are fixing
> up to sell - already have new residence in NJ.
>
> Thanks for any advice,
>
> Teo

All of your proposed fixes would -probably- work but...as others have
said, you might as well rebuild the wall. It won't cost much more than
your fixes and will be done right. Of course do the french drain and
rock fill thing to.

When rebuilding the wall use "Z-bar" between every other course and
rebar plus concrete fill of the cavities in about every 4 blocks.

Harry K


Page 1 of 2       1 2 > last >>
Similar ThreadsPosted
repair concrete block wall March 14, 2007, 5:25 pm
Need to cut a circle in concrete block wall September 13, 2008, 9:13 pm
24-inch concrete block retaining wall July 17, 2008, 6:58 pm
Concrete floor, cinder block wall -- how to fill gaps July 16, 2007, 6:03 pm
Reinforcing kitchen wall September 26, 2008, 11:25 pm
Re: Reinforcing concrete slab with dowels February 17, 2008, 12:51 am
Re: Reinforcing concrete slab with dowels February 18, 2008, 10:55 am
Re: Reinforcing concrete slab with dowels February 18, 2008, 10:02 pm
Re: Reinforcing concrete slab with dowels February 19, 2008, 1:27 pm
Garage Pad and concrete block July 12, 2005, 11:07 am

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

XML SitemapXML Sitemap