Lori Hise

What is the Best Carbon Fiber? It Depends.

Fortress carbon kevlar strap vs carbon cloth

Have you noticed that every company that represents a carbon fiber strap or sheet product says theirs is the best? How are you ever going to be able to figure out the truth? In reality, all carbon fiber products are pretty good IF they are installed properly and used as they were designed to be. Generally speaking, there are 3 types of carbon fiber reinforcement, fabric, rigid straps, and solid plates. The epoxy used varies with the type of carbon used.

Carbon fiber fabric, a thin, flexible strap or sheet, is generally on the lower end of the strength spectrum, around 50,000 psi. Its advantage is that it is very flexible and can easily conform to any configuration. It was initially designed to strengthen and reinforce concrete pillars and odd-shaped construction as it can be wrapped around and tucked into these shapes. Often the repair application requires more than one layer of the carbon fabric to be strong enough. Generally, the thinner carbon fabric is applied to the repair surface like wallpaper is applied to a wall. The epoxy which is used with this type of carbon fiber is designed to adhere to bare concrete which has never been painted. A quick surface grinding will remove any roughness from the surface first. The wall section is then cleaned and the liquid epoxy is rolled on. The carbon fabric is soaked in a bucket of liquid epoxy and then pasted on the wall. A regular roller is used to squeeze out excess epoxy and air pockets. Fabric carbon fiber is great for unusual surfaces, but not as good as the thicker rigid carbon fiber straps for flat surfaces such as a basement wall. Not only is the carbon fiber itself less strong, but the epoxy bond is less secure, especially if the surface has been previously painted and some paint remains in the concrete pores or if the installation is not done perfectly and air bubbles remain. It is more challenging to ensure all air bubbles have been squeezed out because the installer cannot see through the fabric. As a result, this type of installation is more prone to delamination.

Solid plate carbon fiber product is brutally strong, approximately 500,000 psi. It is designed for very high-strength reinforcing, usually commercial applications. The epoxy used to bond it dries slowly and often has dangerous VOC (volatile organic compounds) fumes emitted during application and curing. Again, the skill of the installer is critical to ensure there are no air bubbles beneath the carbon. This is the most expensive carbon product and is generally not used to reinforce basement walls.

Fortress hybrid straps combine all the advantages of carbon fiber and KEVLAR®to deliver a product that boasts a high strength-to-weight ratio and dimensional stability in addition to remarkable impact-, abrasion-, and fatigue-resistance. The strength of this carbon fiber is over 234,000 psi. There are several advantages to utilizing Fortress hybrid straps for basement wall stabilization. It is the only carbon fiber product that meets I.C.C. Standards for this industry. Installers are required to be certified by Fortress. A Fortress certified installation means your repair will meet all building code requirements and will pass all future inspections. A transferable lifetime product warranty is standard. The special epoxy has no VOCs so consequently there will be no fumes emitted from the installation. The epoxy is designed to adhere to concrete walls that have been previously painted. It is also designed to be able to be installed on a wall that is not perfectly dry from outside water intrusion. After curing for 24 hours the epoxied wall strap becomes part of the wall and nothing can remove it. Hydrostatic forces cracking and bowing your wall can never be great enough to overcome the strength of this strap. Because this strap is a weave design, the epoxy which binds it to the wall will push through the weave, like a million rivets. The open weave also allows the installer to easily see and remove any air bubbles, unlike the solid cloth-like carbon fiber and the solid plate carbon fiber. Fortress carbon fiber is manufactured in the United States. Top and bottom anchors are standard.

Covid-19

We at Expert Basement repair are completely aware of and concerned about the virus and how it spreads. Because of this, we have taken several extra safety measures to protect your safety and the safety of our crew. Below is a list of the steps we have taken.

1. The person doing the initial basement inspection will wear an N95 face mask.

2. The inspection time in the basement is limited to 15-20 minutes.

3. You will not be required to sit through a sales presentation.

4. Product and repair information will be left with you at the time of the inspection.

5. Unless exceedingly simple, a repair estimate and drawing will be emailed within a day.

6. We will utilize a small crew of only one or two men to do the repair work. For any customer contact, masks will be worn.

7. We will install a plastic barrier over the stairway entrance to isolate the basement from the upstairs.

8. We will run an extra-large Metabo HEPA air filtration vacuum to clean and filter the air in the basement during the entire installation. HEPA filters can remove 99.97% of contaminants from the air, including respiratory droplets that spread the virus.

9. During grinding and wall preparation we will run an additional extra-large Bosch HEPA vacuum for both dust and virus control.

10. When the temperature allows, we will turn off the home heating system to further isolate the basement.

11. Once our equipment is moved into the basement, trips in and out of your home will be minimized.

12. You will not need to leave your home. Fortress carbon fiber installation creates no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and the air is filtered.

13. Our installers have many years of experience so most repair jobs can be done quickly and efficiently, requiring only one or two days to complete.

Photos

Badly cracked and sheared Walls: Top anchors are installed first.

This stabilized wall has been anchored at both top and bottom.

Carbon fiber must continue behind any breaker boxes, sinks, or other obstacles.

All cracks must be properly tuckpointed.

Carbon fiber installation and tuckpointing can be done with framing in place.

Wall that has been tuckpointed and repaired with carbon fiber straps and rod & grout

Are Cracks Due to Settlement or Soil Pressure

Before researching the various methods to repair cracked basement walls, we need to determine whether the cracks are due to vertical settlement or lateral hydrostatic pressure. Not all situations are obvious and clear-cut, but here are some general guidelines for cement block walls. Hydrostatic pressure usually causes horizontal cracking along the entire wall, often with stairstep cracking at the corners and possibly the on the adjacent walls. Vertical cracking from floor to ceiling, especially on two adjacent walls, is usually indicative of a settlement problem.

Repairing Cracked, Bowing, and Wet Basement Wall Problems

Extended wet weather is hard on block basement walls. Not only will water try to find a way into your basement, but excessive moisture content in the soil causes the soil to expand and will often cause the walls to crack and bow. These are two separate problems. If finances are tight and both issues cannot be addressed, we recommend addressing the structural repair first. Continued movement of the wall becomes more expensive to repair if allowed to progress.

The best product to stabilize the affected walls so there is no further cracking, bowing or movement is with Fortress carbon fiber grid straps. All the work is done from the inside of the basement and normally can be installed in 1-2 days as a permanent repair. Once this is done you will have the option of trying several methods to reduce or eliminate the water infiltration.

First, check your gutters and make sure they are clean and sloped properly. Next, correct any negative grading where water is coming at your basement instead of away from it. If water is coming in at the corners from higher up on the wall, it’s very likely you have a damaged downspout drain there. The downspout drain is located about 3′ below your grade on the corner where it makes a turn. This location often clogs, cracks, comes apart or is smashed. It’s quick and easy to check it before spending much money.

If water is coming in at the bottom of the wall, it’s most likely the drain tile is not moving water. If your house was built after 1971 the pipe should be PVC plastic and can be jetted out to clean it. If your house is older the drain pipe is red clay tile and is probably broken or crushed.

If addressing gutters, grading, downspout drains and drain tile does not eliminate the water problem and you must waterproof the basement, outside excavation is best. Anything done from the inside is merely water control, requiring a sump pump and often a dehumidifier.