One of the three forces that holds a wall in place is downward compression. Once a wall starts

to bow, the compression that was a positive force, now becomes a negative force. When a wall

is no longer held in place by compression, any additional forces on a bow in the wall could

cause further movement or, even worse, a collapse. To prevent this from happening, a support

system that absorbs the tension from the bow and transfers that load to the floor systems at

the top of the wall and the floor slab at the bottom of the wall should be installed. 

If your wall has a total deflection (bowing in the middle, tipping at the top, or shearing at the

bottom) that exceeds 3” you should consider pushing the wall back. A wall with less than 3” can

usually be safely reinforced to prevent further movement. 

Yes. While there are contractors who will tell you they’ll pull the wall back with anchors or push

it back with beams, to adequately move the wall requires digging out the back fill dirt.

No. The problem that caused it to fail still exists. Once the wall is back in place it needs to be

held there with a wall reinforcement system that anchors the wall to the homes structure at the

top and bottom of the wall. The process of pushing a wall back can also cause cracking and

deterioration of the mortar joints in a block wall. 

It depends on what method you choose and if it was installed correctly. Any wall reinforcement

system should extend from the ceiling to the floor and be anchored on top and bottom. It

should also be touching the wall from top to bottom with no gaps. Using a system with ICC

Certification is significant advantage that communicates code compliance and reliability. 

One of the advantages of Carbon Fiber over steel is that it bonds to the wall, making the wall

stronger than when it was built. Wall preparation and an effective bonding epoxy are crucial to

the success of Carbon Fiber. Choose the most reputable contractor and the Carbon Fiber with

the lowest margin of error during installation. 

Step cracking can be a sign of two separate, but related issues. Step cracks in the corners may

be a sign of wall movement and/or settlement. If there are also cracks in the corners of your

floor this is typically a sign of settlement. Step cracks going from the top and bottom of the wall

towards the middle are typically an indication of inward movements of the wall. 

Repairing the cracks is usually a temporary fix. You will likely experience a failure in the crack

repair or see new cracking as the pressure against the wall continues. Once pressure on the

wall begins pushing the wall inward it can escalate very quickly. One bad weather event could

force a more extensive repair or even be catastrophic for your wall. It is advisable to reinforce it

as soon as symptoms appear.