"Push Rod" System Straightens Basements

"Push Rod" System Straightens Basements BUILDINGS New Techniques 29-4-40 Settling soil or poor landscaping can cause any basement wall to buckle inward, and it can cost an arm and a leg to repair the damage. That's why Gary Resch and his son, Greg, came up with a new wall brace system that supports the wall and also pushes it back straight again. "It offers a permanent solution at less cost than any other system on the market," says Gary. The Gorilla Wall Brace can be used in any basement that has a concrete floor and exposed floor joists. It can even be used on spancrete ceilings or the newer truss floor joists with a little modification. The system consists of a bracket that bolts to three floor joists, and a threaded pushing rod with a screw mechanism built into it. A 2 by 4 steel tube runs from the ceiling to the floor where a bracket holds it in place. Steel braces are spaced vertically every 4 ft. along the basement wall and remain permanently in place to stabilize the wall. The push rod bracket is designed to be operated by an air wrench to apply continuous pressure, moving the wall back over a period of time. After the wall is pushed back straight, the braces remain permanently, supporting the wall which can then be finished normally. "It eliminates the stress and twist caused by other basement wall straightening systems. Unlike other systems, there's no need to dig up your yard, and it can be installed any time of the year," says Resch. "What we're really doing is taking up nature's slack. When a wall buckles, the soil around the basement is usually wet so you aren't able to push the wall back but just hold it in place. Once the ground dries up and contracts, over a 2 to 5-year period of time, you can use the pushing rod to take up the slack and push the wall back all the way." The floor-mounting bracket for the steel brace is designed to accept up to four anchor bolts in cases where a thin floor needs more holding power. The pushing rod bracket is available in two styles depending on whether you have crosswise or lengthwise (parallel or vertical) floor joists. A number of dealers in the Midwest can install the system. An easy-to-install home installation kit is also available. It includes everything needed except for the steel brace, which the customer buys at their local steel yard. "The brace can be cut to the length you need for your basement walls," notes Resch. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gary Resch, 21952 Rausch Lake Road, Saint Cloud, Minn. 56301 (ph 800 831-2559; email: fix@dryupbasement.com; website: www.dryupbasement.com).

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