Years of excessive water damage had affected the basement garage area of a Pittsburgh hillside home. T1-11 paneling fastened directly to the foundation wall concealed the condition of the block beneath it. When the homeowner removed the boards, they discovered inward wall deflection and stair-step cracking running along the wall.
The repair needed to address two connected problems: a foundation wall requiring structural reinforcement and water requiring a controlled drainage path. Reinforcing the wall alone would not address the water, while drainage alone would not provide the structural support the damaged wall needed.
Highlander assessed and cleaned the exposed wall, documenting the inward deflection and stair-step cracking. A certified Highlander crew opened the interior perimeter to the footing, installed a drainage line in washed stone, and set a sump basin as part of a full interior water management system.
The crew installed Carbon Guard high-strength carbon fiber straps at engineered spacing, with top and bottom attachments tying the wall into the framing above and the footing below. Stair-step cracks were tuckpointed and sealed, and a dimpled wall membrane was routed into the drainage system. The perimeter was then finished back in concrete.
