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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.

The Many Choices for Basement Wall Repair

A cracked and bowing basement wall is no longer structurally sound. Once cracked, it is far easier for hydrostatic pressure to continue to push the wall inward. This article will address the various methods used to stabilize a concrete block basement wall to prevent further inward movement due to hydrostatic pressure. Our method of choice is Fortress Kevlar/carbon fiber straps. We have over 2 decades of carbon fiber installation experience. Our owners introduced carbon fiber to the Cleveland market first. Over the years we’ve installed every brand of carbon fiber on the market. Here’s some helpful information regarding this fantastic product:

Carbon fiber is exceptionally strong. When the strands of carbon are woven or placed parallel with each other, they become exponentially stronger than many other materials. Carbon fiber, when bonded to a bare or properly prepared concrete surface, will not delaminate or stretch. Fortress carbon fiber, with a cross weave of Kevlar, has been tested to be 10 times stronger than steel in a tension application, meaning being pushed, not compressed. When tested to failure, Fortress carbon fiber endured a force ten times what is necessary to stabilize a basement wall as shown in this video of the actual testing. The installation is non-invasive, 99.9% dust free, and the structural epoxy adhesive contains no VOCs (volatile organic compounds). You don’t need to leave the house!

Carbon fiber composites are as high-tech as you can get today. The new 787 Dreamliner aircraft, space shuttles, boat masts, racing bicycles, racing cars, bullet-proof vests are all made from this modern day miracle composite. Carbon fiber has been used for many years for repairs to concrete bridges and commercial and industrial concrete structures. Fortress carbon fiber products now routinely replace steel I-beams, wall anchors, and Grip-Tite anchors for most cement-block basement wall repairs. The advantage of carbon fiber over these older technologies is well documented, tested and proven.

Before we compare the various methods of stabilizing a basement wall we need to clarify that we are talking about concrete block basement walls. We also need to verify that the cracks are due to the wall being pushed inward and not due to settling. Inward movement generally results in a horizontal crack along the entire wall with stairstep cracking at the corners and sometimes stairstep cracks on the adjacent walls. Vertical cracking from floor to ceiling, especially on two adjacent walls, is usually settlement; the foundation is sinking in some areas. None of the following stabilization methods are designed to address foundation settlement. Proper failure analysis is critical for any successful long-term repair. Note that spacing requirements of the methods described below will vary depending on block thickness, wall height, backfill height, and the amount and type of wall damage.

Steel Beams

Traditional wall stabilization almost always involved the installation of steel beams. These beams were often bolted to the floor or set into the floor and cemented in place. They were then attached at the top of the wall and to the floor joists with framing. Not all size steel beams are strong enough to withstand hydrostatic soil pressure loads. Sometimes undersized beams are installed to save the contractor money. Steel beams are bulky and can be scary to future potential purchasers of your home. That doesn’t mean there is never an application for using them. We do install steel beams in some situations. Expect to pay $650-750.00 per beam.

Rod & Grout

Rod & grout stabilization was the next method to come along. Steel rebar is inserted into the wall and then cemented into place along the length of the rods. There are many skill and knowledge factors required for this work that many installers are unaware of. The rods must be tied into the sill plate and extend below the floor. The grout has to be a specific mix. Rod positioning along the entire wall length is crucial. Merely sticking rebar in the wall and pumping in concrete does little for structural integrity if guidelines are not followed or understood. This process adds thousands of pounds of weight to your footing. We install a rod & grout repair when necessary, most often for the shearing at the very bottom of the wall. Cost is $50 – $100 per location.

Steel Wall Anchors

Steel wall anchors are a steel rod which passes through your block wall and is anchored into the soil outside. The hole in your wall is then patched, and a 20″ steel plate is bolted to the rod on the inside of your basement wall, then tightened with a torque wrench. These anchors require manual tightening every month to maintain the warranty. Wall anchors are suggested for solid poured concrete walls, but not block walls. You cannot drywall or cover these wall plates as they need to be continually accessed to maintain their function and your warranty. We carry them. They cost $550 – $750.00 each.

Full Wall Anchors

Full wall anchors do the same thing as the anchors above but have a 6′ wall plate mounted on the wall with a nut which requires monthly tightening. Again, you can’t finish the walls since you need access to tighten the anchor bolts monthly. The appearance of these anchors is almost as daunting as steel beams. We decided not to carry these. They cost $550- $750.00 each.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber is the latest entry into the residential wall stabilization race. Carbon fiber has been tried, tested and proven to have a tension strength 10 times stronger than steel beams. Carbon fiber is available in 3 main forms: 1) fiber mesh patches 2) solid plate and 3) carbon fiber straps.

Carbon fiber mesh patches are only 2′ – 4′ generally installed midway up the wall. Often these patches do not address the higher hydrostatic pressures developed at the bottom two blocks of the wall because they are not long enough. These patches also usually do not cover the top several horizontal rows of block, which are subject to frost breakage and movement. Spacing seems to vary depending on the vendor. Long-term adhesion to the wall has been a problem in the Cleveland, Ohio area with some companies. We carry fiber mesh patches as this repair is warranted in specific scenarios. Price varies with patch sizes.

Carbon fiber solid plate is manufactured to withstand standard hydrostatic pressure but not differential movement and pressure as it is manufactured with the carbon strands aligned in one direction only. This product requires cleaning with methyl ethyl ketone before installation. This extra heavy design often doesn’t conform well to the bow and displacement of a bowed wall because it is so thick. It is also difficult to confirm 100% wall adhesion because you can’t see if all the air voids have been removed after it is installed. We carry this but it is generally used for heavy-duty commercial projects. Each plate costs $650 – $850.

Carbon fiber straps are the most versatile of all the carbon products. Fortress Kevlar/carbon fiber straps are designed to address differential pressure movement as well as standard hydrostatic pressure. High strength structural adhesive epoxy bonds it to the wall and passes through its woven grid pattern to surround and encapsulate the entire strap. Any trapped air or voids can easily be visually identified and removed. You can expect to pay $550 – $750 per strap which includes top and bottom anchoring.

Why Your Basement Wall is Cracking and Bowing

Masonry concrete block walls are designed to support the load of the house on them and also to withstand the force of normal soil pressure pushing against the wall. In Northeast Ohio, the walls are designed to withstand around 40 pounds of soil pressure per square inch. Generally, with a designed in safety factor, the walls will withstand up to 60 pounds per square inch (psi ) without cracking or bowing. Once soil pressure exceeds 60 psi the wall is often subject to mechanical failure. Wet, saturated clay soils in our region will often reach 90 psi. Once this pressure is reached the wall can usually no longer resist these forces and will start to give way, by cracking, then bowing, and eventually shearing at the bottom if not stabilized. Fortress carbon fiber grid straps are designed to withstand 10 times this much pressure, far more than can ever be generated by swelling soil. Once your wall is properly reinforced, stabilized and anchored, it will no longer move and can be warranted for the life of your structure.

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.

Top and Bottom Wall Anchors

Any wall that is experiencing top, bottom, or center wall movement needs to be stabilized or the wall could continue to move, breaching the structural integrity of your foundation. Fortress carbon fiber has been tested and approved by certified independent testing facilities to solve this problem. Fortress carbon fiber was one of the first wall stabilization products to be approved and used in residential applications and has a 20-year history of proven success. Fortress carbon fiber is the leader, the best performing carbon fiber product, and has the longest installation history in the marketplace. Ask any independent structural engineer to compare our product to any competitors product and you will see that ours is preferred 9 times out of 10.

Most basement walls begin to crack and bow after 60 psi of wet soil (hydrostatic) pressure has built up against the basement walls. Properly installed, Fortress carbon/Kevlar grid straps enable a block wall to withstand 10 times more than the maximum pressure expanding soil can exert. Our top and bottom wall anchors have also been engineered and tested to vastly exceed the required strength necessary.

TOP WALL ANCHORING:

Typically when a home is constructed the builder includes top wall anchors in the construction. These anchors tie the house framing to the block wall along the length of the wall. Sometimes you can physically see these anchors sticking up through the sill plate from the block. When your wall has these anchors installed by the builder, the wall normally cannot move inward at the top and outside soil pressure usually cannot break this bond. Instead, hydrostatic pressure will cause buckling and cracking along the middle of the wall and often near the corners. For homes sufficiently anchored by the builder, extra anchoring at the top is unnecessary. If the builder has not installed these anchors or installed too few of these anchors and the top of the wall is moving, Fortress offers a high-strength (adjustable tension) anchor solution. This patented top wall anchor far exceeds the strength requirements needed to stabilize any top wall movement.

BOTTOM WALL ANCHORING:

Bottom wall movement is typically seen once the bond strength of the cement holding the block together has been exceeded. The bottom block cannot move as it is locked in place by the concrete floor. The second block up will begin to move inward, usually when there is not enough house weight on the wall to resist outside pressure. If there is no discernible inward movement the bottom of the wall can easily be locked in place with the vertical carbon fiber strap overlapping the two blocks and carried all the way to the floor. Additional bottom wall strength is obtained by anchoring the carbon fiber grid strap into the floor with structural epoxy. The lower wall can additionally be anchored when the wall has not shifted by installing patented Fortress carbon fiber staples into the very bottom block. Once there are signs of bottom wall shifting sometimes it is necessary to stop this movement with an engineered structural repair. Steel rod and high strength concrete are used to overlap the joint between the bottom and second block up from the bottom, effectively making them one continuous block. We have an engineered design for this repair. A trained and certified EBR representative can determine which of these options is appropriate for any particular situation.

In addition to the strap, there are two keys to a strong and lasting carbon fiber repair, the structural epoxy, and proper installation. Fortress carbon fiber products are only available to professional installers whose employees have participated in extensive training, testing and who obtained their certification. Expert Basement Repair is certified by Fortress and our company and installers have more installation experience than any other company in this area. All of our repairs carry a lifetime transferable warranty from us here at Expert Basement Repair. You are also issued a separate lifetime transferable warranty from Fortress.

Fortress Bottom Staple

Top Wall Anchor after tension adjustment

Carbon Recessed Into Floor

Carbon Epoxied in Floor

Think Twice About What a Company is Telling or Showing You!

Here is an example of how unscrupulous companies can trick you. Our company received the following advertisement:

Hi, hope all is well. I know you’re probably very busy so I’ll get straight to the point: I follow your site expertbasementrepair.com and really like what you do, so I really want to see your business take off. As a small business owner myself, I thought you would really benefit from something that worked tremendously well for me, attracting a ton of traffic and new customers. It’s this new thing called a “video testimonial.” In plain English, it’s basically a mini commercial for your biz, but you can write your own script, choose your own actor, and it’s pretty darn cheap for what you’re getting. I tried it out for my own biz and it turned out great. It’s like a review for your business but it looks like an actual customer did it, blogging about your product because they’re so satisfied with it. It’s the best business expenses and the best investment I’ve ever made, and you can try it out at http://www.buy-testimonials.org. Keep up the good work.

– Luke.

This means video testimonials posted by some companies might not be real. They might also be full of completely false and misleading information. We are aware of companies using a very persuasive powerpoint presentation in which they make false claims about competitors. In addition, some companies will try to convince you to not even consider talking to any other company. They will make a compelling argument to sign up immediately. Would you buy an expensive item without shopping around? Give this some serious consideration! We highly suggest getting another opinion, even if it’s not ours! If you’re being pressured to sign up today and not call anyone else? Well, we warned you!

These methods are not anything we would ever consider. There are, however, one or two companies in this area using some of these methods of promotion. Please do your background homework on any company you are thinking about using, including us!

Buying a Home? How to Check for Block Basement Foundation Wall Problems

1) First check out the outside corners of the home foundation. Look for a vertical crack about 1′ from the corner. Look for the crack to be tuckpointed all the way down. Even if the tuckpointing mortar is the same color as the rest of the wall there should be no crack here. A crack in this location indicates the wall has snapped and has moved inward.

2) Inside the basement look for signs that new tuckpointing has been done on the walls. New tuckpointing always means the walls have cracked and been patched. Also look for extra wide mortar joints which mean the wall has moved in and has been tuckpointed to hide the movement. Fresh paint can’t hide an extra wide mortar joint.

3) Look for signs that the floor tiles were or are loose. Leaking walls and water problems will pop the tiles loose and destroy them over time. Sometimes damaged perimeter tiles are replaced to make a decorative band around the room. Be suspicious when you see this.

4) If the walls are covered try to look at the wall through the electric service box or gas service shut-off line area, or look in the utility room. Look for horizontal cracks or water stains at the bottom of the wall. Also look for white discoloration of wall paneling at the bottom or along the board seams. Broken and cracked basement walls are bad news, generally requiring a lot of money to fix them properly. Sometimes unscrupulous home sellers will hide foundation problems and not disclose them. They are hoping you won’t discover any problems until they are long gone. It’s in your best interest to learn all you can about some of these hidden basement problems. If in doubt bring in a basement expert! If you are in the greater Cleveland, Ohio region, bring us in!

Experience Matters

Cracked and bowing wall problems are a major cause for concern as houses begin to age. More of a concern is the amount and degree of varying opinions from basement foundation repair companies. It seems the more companies you talk to, the more the confusing the problem becomes. Everyone you talk with says their method is the best. Many foundation repair companies have not updated their industry knowledge or repair methods and are still doing things the way they were done half a century ago. There are many different wall-repair methods available today; the key is to choose the right one for your particular problem. Any company having only one method of repair available to solve your problem may not be the right company to do your work. Many of these companies are locked into a franchise and can only sell one product and that is all they know.

Some companies with no knowledge of modern repair techniques will tell you if the wall is cracked and bowed it has to be replaced. Working with these folks will end up costing you a lot more money than you probably needed to spend. Ninety percent of the walls that these folks condemn are easily repairable and can be fully stabilized and warranted. As a general rule, only a cement block wall which has bowed more than 4″, or has sheared at the bottom more than 3″, or has rotten concrete blocks needs to be replaced and rebuilt. Once you realize your wall doesn’t have to be replaced you then need to understand the various repair methods. See our article on the advantages and disadvantages of various repair methods.

Carbon fiber straps will usually be the method of choice to stabilize a cracked and bowing cement block basement wall. If the wall has already sheared at the bottom, then a rod & grout repair will also be necessary. Shearing means the 2nd to bottom block has moved inward. The carbon fiber must span the entire height of the wall from ceiling to floor. If the strap does not extend to the floor the wall may shear in the future. Companies who do not stabilize the entire height will not warrant movement above or below their straps or patches!

With a knowledgeable and experienced contractor, you will spend less money, the job will be done much quicker and more efficiently, the work area will be kept cleaner and more organized, and costly surprises will not be in your future!

Do It Yourself Carbon Fiber Installation Kits

There are a few companies out there now promoting DIY carbon fiber installation kits. They make the process look really easy. I’m suggesting you give this a bit more thought before diving in.

One example video for DYI carbon fiber installation on the internet shows only a best possible case scenario. The wall is barely cracked, any bowing is not apparent, and the wall has no paint to deal with! Gee that looks so easy!

What will you do if you run into problems not addressed in the video, such as walls bowed more than half an inch? It is essential to also properly tuckpoint the walls but that isn’t addressed. What if these are settlement cracks instead of hydrostatic pressure cracks? Carbon fiber will not stabilize settlement problems. How would you know? What if the walls are wet? What is the correct spacing for the block thickness? Is there any adjustment for backfill dirt height? What about reinforcing window openings? What about shearing at the bottom? Cracking near the top? What about top wall anchoring if the wall is slipping at the top? What if the walls are painted? Carbon fiber will not bond well to paint! How do you get the paint off the walls? What if it’s lead paint? What about corner shearing? Tuckpointing methods and materials?

The epoxies used for this material set up quickly. You will not have a lot of time to waste installing it before it sets up. You must get it right the first time or you can have an expensive mess to deal with! What kind of support are these people going to provide with their kit? What kind of warranty are you really getting, especially if you don’t get it exactly right? What will they do for you if the wall fails or you have delamination?

The list goes on and on! Do you think you have all the correct tools, know-how and ability to install your own carbon fiber and get it right so there won’t be problems in the future? If so you are in the minority and I wish you the best of luck! Sometimes trying to save some money can end up costing you a lot more than just money. Think about it. Should you hire someone with decades of experience or try it yourself? Carbon fiber, even at DYI pricing, is really expensive if you don’t get it right.

Replacing Failing Wall Anchors

This is a picture of a wall anchor and a Fortress carbon fiber grid strap. The reason both repair products are in this picture is that another company’s wall anchors weren’t working very well and wall movement needed to be stopped. After a wet rainy spring, the wall anchors had slipped inward through the wet clay soil. The wall had continued to bow inward in between the monthly required tightening maintenance on the anchor plates. The other problem was that the wall anchors had done nothing to prevent the bottom of the wall from shearing at the second from bottom block and sliding inward on two out of three walls. We removed the anchor plates long enough to install Fortress carbon fiber grids and then reinstalled the plates for a day until the carbon epoxy had fully cured.

The wall anchors are better suited for installations on solid poured concrete walls. When these anchors are installed on cement block walls you are only addressing wall movement around the immediate area of the wall plate, just four or five blocks, not stabilization of the top or bottom of the wall. There should not only be concerns with the wall shearing at the bottom block but concerns with punching shear, where the block snaps and breaks around the anchor plate when the anchor doesn’t slip. These are all problems related to point loading, which is anchoring a small amount of surface area on a wall in an attempt to stop the inward movement. When hydrostatic soil pressure is the primary cause of inward wall movement you need to give your choice of wall stabilization more consideration. You can even point load your wall when you install large sheets of carbon fiber fabric. Unless the fabric installations extend the full height of your wall you are not addressing the area of the wall which has the highest amount of pressure on it, the very bottom of the wall where the second block up is not locked in by the floor. You are also not addressing the possibility of freeze break near the top of the wall. In the above case the wall had sheared in several areas so we had to compliment the carbon fiber installation with a rod and grout repair at the bottom of the walls that had sheared.

We suggest you do your homework before you spend your hard-earned money. Ask tougher questions of the nice folks who come out to see you and see what kind of answers you get. If you know what kind of questions to ask and what to look for it will be much more obvious which contractor you want making your repairs. It will be time well spent.

Basement Questions is a great site to learn more. Check them out when you’re done with us!