NJ - PA Foundation Repair - How to Install I BEAMS vs Carbon Fiber Strips 

Best video EVER for homeowners needing a proper and permanent solution to an issue like this. Outstanding camera work, too. I-beams the only way to go.

great video. i was very afraid after seeing my basement wall. but after your video i had a peace of mind. thank you

This video reminds me very much of Scotty Kilmer's car repair channel - I like it.

teach em right my friend.... I want my company to be known for the best and highest quality workmanship in my area and I'm watching you Daniel. your a beast...before I get involved in a job that i have any questions or concerns about I always hit your channel here and double check myself.. thanx for the lessons.

Having seen those carbon fiber strips, I have wondered how in the world that it can compare to the strength of a steel I-beam. I'm glad to hear you say it's a "band-aid" solution. I have often thought the same thing, but I am no expert. Thanks so much for these videos. I've watched too many of them now! LOL.

Your videos got much better. The cut-and-splice-every-other-word-technique is not so good. This is much better. Thanks for posting and sharing your videos ! I love your approach and quality of work !

Danny knows his shit about all phases of construction.

Awesome work! Great mentor!

I love your humor regarding carbon fiber strips...Thank you for putting these videos out and educating the public. I'm going to need my basement walls fixed and will stay away from the carbon fiber strip...I wish you were located in NE Ohio because I'd certainly have your company do my repair.

Danny your too funny . Thanks for the great knowledge!👍🇺🇸

I have guy to quote m foundation crack repair all round house ( 20K) using cabin fiber. it doesn't make sense to me . But this is more sense and I can do my self . what a man ! thank you thank you

Thank you that makes perfect sense I did this about 10 year ago had a guy help me who had done it in the past we did a ok job ,I forgot how we did it, I may need beams on a new house .

I like your work , you tell it like it is, ..keep up the good work

The title was a bit misleading. I was actually hoping to learn a bit about the use of carbon fiber materials in home construction. All I learned here about carbon fiber, is your complete disdain for carbon fiber strips. Whatever those are. Still though, I did learn how to correctly install a steel I-beam. Thanks for posting. Update. Just saw another video that you did that was what I was looking for. Thanks again for your videos. I thoroughly enjoy learning, and you are one heck of a teacher. A no nonsense no bull type, the best.

Now that's the right way to do steel braces! Nice job.

Just recently discovered your videos. To the point, honest and very informative. Wife and I are looking to buy a second house and seems like every house we look at has fucked up basement walls. Even a newer 10 yo home we looked at in a $300k subdivision selling for $165k had shifting walls. Something about not being tied in right. Realtor said it would be 50k to 60k just to fix the walls. Smh. Several other houses built in the 70s had 2 or more walls pushing in with cracks going right through the block from the floor to the ceiling. Blocks snapped in half. WTF. After watching your videos I have a better understanding what's going on in these houses. I don't even know how this shit gets passed the building inspectors. Thank you for everything you are doing to help inform us.

Mr. Daniel good job I love your work

Thank you for this video! I have a customer with an exterior covered porch. Brick wall with stucco on it. Half of it below grade. Anyhow it's caving in. I'm going to use a modified method to support the deck joists above, and shore up the walls while adding pressure on them. I'm planning on building a 2x6 pressure-treated wall one foot on center. Brace it at the joists at the top. Use joist hangers so it could hold tension towards the brick wall. Then I'm going to move along and jack the bottom of the 2x6 wall until it comes into contact with the bottom course of the brick wall. This may help level the brick, but it will definitely support it from falling in, and I'll take care of the decking support above. Thank you for your video. It inspired me to develop this! If you're so inclined and can think of a better method please let me know. Best wishes. Be safe.

You're awesome! So much help, was going to go the carbon fiber route until I watched this.

Carbon fiber is an attempt at foundation stabilization with a side effect of epoxy stink. it attempts holds the wall in its current position. The strip actually needs additional movement to engage. If you can live with the size of wide flange beams "I beams", they are probably going to be more robust.

Idk if I’ll ever need another I beam but if you were in Ohio I’d have you do it. I love how you do things and communicate.

I love this channel!

RamJack... we put tiebacks through the center of the ibeam and block wall it pulls the wall back and holds, that ibeam with nothing in the center won’t work.... it’s still going to push and crack the floor

Informative and comical. Great video.

i love this guy, i have a lateral crack along my foundation wall that is about 4 dime size crack in it...

Exelent explanation. thank you

finally a man that knows his sh*t!! A+++

Definitely recommend a 6x6 or angle iron at the top. The company that did mine in the 80s used C-channel and a 2x10 instead of the 6x6 at the top. The pressure eventually broke the 2x10 and have bent several of the beams. Now I have to spend another 15k to replace what was already done.

Dan. You need a nice Dewalt portable band saw. Great video. You showed me how to do mine.

the energy is always there this guy is awesome!

Looks nice

we have a west wall only coming in about 2 inches now. The brand of walls are called Superior walls and hardly put in any bolts to hold wall to house. We are in a modular house if that makes any difference.

I-beams and carbon fiber strips are as much repair as bandaids are to cuts on your finger. The difference between a finger and a house is your finger will repair itself under the bandaid; the house will just weep and fail more.

Great information, thank you

A lot of people go for the straps now adays purely because they don’t want anything bulging from there walls. Have yet had too repair a wall with carbon fiber strips, when done right keep that in mind. Idk Maybe it’s a preference thing.

Thank you so much

I just looked up Carbon Fiber Strips and agree the the I-beam fixes the wall, the strips attempt to prevent more damage.

Good job....I'm impressed

looks great

I absolutely agree with your method 💯 one question to you. Can i use 4x4 1/4” thick box tubing instead of i beam?

how much apart should be the proper placement of the i beam, what i'm asking is the spacing between the i beams in a 20 foot wide wall?

You're the Man

I like this guy

Daniel, I have a question- in another video you secured the I Beams at the top using a long angle iron that connected to all of them and the joists. In this video you boxed them out with wood. Is either method better? And thank you for the great videos.

What do you think about Geo piers that go into ground outside as anchora

WHERE WOULD I BUY BEAMS LIKE IN YOUR VIDEO?

😂 I've got a wall leaning in considerably at the TOP. 15°? If I were to drop a plumb bob from the top to the floor, I' be 12-14" at the base...How would I address THIS nighmare?!! I have been repairing this house on my own for 10 years...please help. Yes, I have a LOT of construction knowledge.

Daniel OConnor, Good day to you. I live out here in Missouri and my basement has a small separation/crack between the blocks, horizontally. Your method of Ibeam repair looks great. What's the distance you have between Ibeams? I'm looking for your video on installing a sump tank etc. Yeah, I'm a DIYer, but I have done construction for 15 - 20 years in San Diego and then I moved to Missouri and became an Operating Engineer. I can follow everything you're saying, but I never heard you talk about the distance between Ibeams. I'll get searching, thanks Daniel OConnor.

Daniel - would you weld the rebar to the I-beam and the L bracket to make it permanent? Also, why not painting the metal, especially the rebar , prior the installation to prevent rust from eating away the metal ?

What happens if you have an old basement wall made from rocks that isn’t flat so you can’t put an i-beam against it?

What do you do for a basement that is leaking water and showing white mold/fugi or what ever and the walls have cracks and also I want an egress window installed . What would be my options . So I am not taking advantage of . And the job isn't done only half way ?

I have a house I'm trying to sell with driveways on north and south sides of walls that are bowing I am going to use your method. Should I tackle both walls at same time or 1 at a time and how much of a bow is too much to use this method also how far apart do I have to put I beams apart thanks for your time and your videos

Hi! Thank you so mu for this video, it’s been so helpful, if you were in the Kansas City area, I’d love to have you come out and take a look at a foundation on a house we are interested in buying. The concrete foundation has some leaning on one wall and 4 or 5 steel I beams were installed (incorrectly we think) and small amounts of water come in through cracks in the foundation when it rains. Our inspectors didn’t seem worried about it at all and made it sound like just by sealing the cracks with an epoxy, all would be fine. We however are worried that the wall will continue to lean in despite the steel beams being there. I guess my question is, how worried should we be about this or should we try to reinstall the beams correctly then reseal cracks and regrade around the foundation? I’ve called around to a few local companies and no one will even give me an idea or look at my inspection report without coming out and seeing it in person, which I understand. But since we down yet own the home, it’s not realistic to try and schedule a consultation until after we close on the house. I would love any thoughts you might have on this!

How would you brace the top of beam if the floor joist are running the other way ??

How do you create a bottom anchor if it's dirt or clay on the other side rather than a concrete pad? Understand that the moisture level of the clay/dirt is pretty high.

Hi. I live on Long Island having trouble finding 4x4x1/2 steel I beams. Can you tell me where you get them? Thanks in advance.

I've been shopping for a house and finally found one that's literally perfect for me ...except the big ass crack in the basement wall smh. It's a renovated flip that was built in 1925 so I'm worried

Will this help support a cinder block foundation during a massive earthquake? Or is it just for earth pushing on one side only?

Do you need permits for this installation?

Daniel, great explanation of the process, and the "why". Can you tell me what size beam you use, and how far apart you generally install? I've seen 4x7.7 and 4x13.

Thanks

I wish you were in Ohio could use you in the house I’m buying!

Do you have any videos that address houses with stacked stone foundations?

How thick is the steel I-beam?

I have concrete porch and the block wall under it start bowing can I still use I-beam ?

In my city all the guys ever do is carbon strips and box systems.... many people still have basement issues, go figure

I've got stacked stone as outer foundation and then a gap of 6 inches and then an inside brickwall in the basement. What's the idea of such a construction? Why the large gap? The house is from 1929.

What kind of jack is that? Also, what is the technique for a basement wall running parallel to the floor joists?

What size I beam are you using and your could you do the same process using square tubing ?

Does this work for step cracks going from top of the wall to the bottom ?

oh my.. excellente.. then does one pc rebar get concreted over?

Ok. What about a 50ft long wall That's bowed out 2 inches? How many I beams do I need? Any thoughts?

Hey, I know this video is about 5y, are you still in business, is so how do I go about getting in touch with you for a project?

Is there a minimum size you would use for steel? I Would like to use a 3" i -beam or heavy wall sq tube to frame up and finish the basement wall with 2x4's. Using the 3" would allow this.

What type of steel beam do you use? I need power brace installed. Had a contractor come out told me I need 14 beams. It's going to cost me $25,000. I cant afford that, I'm considering doing it my self.

great video. What kind of jack did you use? thx

I receive all this information very much needed. Thank you for sharing. God bless you and your family in Jesus mighty name to God be the glory for your skills.😃😃😃🥰😍❤️❤️❤️🤩👏👏🫶🏽🙌🏾🫶👍😇😇😇😇😊

my only disappointment is that you are located in new jersey.i would like to find a reputable foundation repair expert such as yourself in Nebraska.there was a waterproofing system installed by a leading company here.begins with (TH).previous to my purchasing the house.the people were elderly,in their eighties.never saw a drop of water in sump pit.it took me abuot 15 minutes to figure out my problem.clogged down spout.but now I have a bowed wall

Damn I'm getting beams installed in about an hour. Let's see how good or a bad of a job they do

How much would you charge for something like this per beam?

I have a feeling he would poke me in the chest while telling me what's wrong with my foundation. Fuck it! Jack the house up and do it your way my man lol.

daniel do you have anybody in the midwest area you can recommend to do i-beams correctly?

So the strips won't prevent further separation at all?

What size jack should be used to do this?

How far apart are you spacing these I beams? Thanks for the video.

Would you leave these I beams in permanently to stabilize the wall? I had plans to lower my basement floor, 90 years old home block foundation, upon inspection I found one wall beginning to bow inward, I want to do this to straighten it out being the driveway is on the outside, ones the wall of straight my thought would be to either cut upon pin and fill the wall to stabilize than do the underpinning, or leaving the I beams in benching this wall and underpinning the remains 3 sides to lower the floor height, any advice would be greatly appreciated

Question on the direction of the floor joists ... in videos and photos of i-beam installation, I always see the joists running TOWARD the wall. What about the walls where the floor joists run in the same direction as the wall? Can i-beams still be used? How does it change how it's fastened at the top?

Nice video! What's the tool you used to jack the beam against the wall?

That looks like a great plan BUT what about when it's bowed out at the top?? My foundation blocks have a 2" gap at the top. The first quote I had to fix the cracks and reinforce it was $11k. Sorry, that's not happening! lol

What if the wall was sheared approximately 2" about 3.5' from the floor? Would the steel crack the block at the shear line?

Is that 4" I beam? The wall looks high, or is that because the footer is very high? I'm doing the same thing to my house in the next week or so.

What is your opinion of earth anchors?

I called for a phone consultation, spoke to Daniels office manager. Made an appointment, confirmed the appointment... he never called, didn’t leave a message on my answer phone, nothing... John

What size of ibeam do you uses

Waiting for that rebar to explode out of there

What size I beam do you use? And is this a viable option for a red brick foundation?

My crack is like 3" it's bad. Can a guy push it Back?

Hey Dan, I have a customer with a similar issue, and I was wondering how you'd deal with bowing by the staircase. I can't slip any steel along the wall where the stairs run. What would you do?

Why dont they do this when the home is built. if the wall is surrounded in earth, sooner or later it will start to move inward i would think.

Could the I-beams be removed after the wall straightens back out? Or would it just pop back out? Wondering in case wanting to sell the home.