By the time you’ve begun to notice bowing or buckling in your basement walls, there’s a good chance that this situation has been present for a very long time.  Bowing walls occur most often due to the force of HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE. 
 
Hydrostatic pressure - increases in proportion to depth measured from the surface because of the increasing weight of fluid exerting downward force from above.  So what this means, when water presses against the basement walls, the weight against the walls to exceeds the walls capacity. 
 
Walls can also bow and fail when expansive clay's or frost cause expansion of the soils to fatigue and damage the wall.
 
Cracking, bowing, and buckling foundations are indicators of a serious problem for a homeowner.  However, while these problems should always be taken seriously and repaired as soon as possible, replacement of the foundation is not the only option available.  In fact, it’s usually not the best one.
 
Walls with severe structural damage will show additional horizontal cracks, shearing, and bowing as time progresses, and in some cases, the only way to repair the problem is to completely remove and rebuild the foundation wall.
 
This process requires quite a bit of work, with the process beginning in your yard.  Before the foundation is excavated, the yard around your foundation must be removed.  This includes all landscaping such as gardens, steps, walkways, foliage, and everything else located along the foundation.  Then the foundation will be excavated, with the removed soil being laid in mounds around the house.  Temporary supports will be put in place as the foundation walls are removed and replaced. When the job is completed, the landscaping and dirt can be returned.  A year later, this soil will settle and must be regraded.
 
Again, this is sometimes the only thing that can be done for a failing foundation.  However, this solution is very expensive, invasive, and disruptive when installed.  Additionally, the process merely replaces the foundation that failed.  If you haven’t taken any measures to address the problem that damaged the foundation in the first place, it’s likely that this foundation will fail, just as the previous one did.
 
If you don't understand how to "Fix the Problem" then hire an expert; SGT Structural Repair has over 40 years of real world experiences, call Bill Sargent today to review your situation (828) 484-9713.