This 1970s ranch in West Des Moines' Valley Junction area had bowing basement walls on two sides, with visible horizontal cracking along the mortar joints — a clear sign that lateral pressure from Iowa's glacial clay soil was pushing the walls inward. The homeowner had noticed uneven floors upstairs and a door frame pulling away from the wall.
Polk County's glacial till soil is dense with clay content and retains significant moisture, creating constant lateral pressure against basement walls. When combined with freeze-thaw cycles that push frozen soil against the wall each winter, the forces can be substantial.
We installed steel push piers on the exterior and I-beam wall braces on the interior, stabilizing the walls and beginning the correction process. The braces are bolted to the floor slab and the joist system above, providing permanent resistance against further inward movement.
This combination approach addressed both the wall bowing and the slight foundation settling that was contributing to the uneven floors above. We also recommended interior waterproofing to address the moisture that had been saturating the soil and driving the lateral pressure. The piers provide permanent vertical support while the braces handle lateral pressure.