Structural Specialists in Englewood, Colorado

Thanks for stopping by. Our website is new but we are not. The purpose of our website is to provide structural construction information for residential and commercial owners, buyers, lenders, inspectors, real estate professionals, and others.

We are Mike Lombardo and Mike Schmidt . . . of Pinnacle Structural Services. We are a licensed contractor specializing in structural repair. We offer a complimentary structural inspection of your home. A repair plan assessment is back to you within 24 hours and verified by a licensed structural third party engineer who inspects the entire project form start to finish.

We can provide information about your structural foundation concerns, a clear understanding of what the cracks in your foundation are telling you, and the best way to remedy the issues.

How to measure the amount of lean or bulge in a foundation wall – a simple, easy procedure to tell just how much foundation movement has occurred

The photo below shows a bulged masonry foundation wall which has also been cut and interrupted to make a doorway. The measuring tape set vertically against the wall can show that the wall is not straight (the tape is straight) but this is not the best way to measure the amount of bulge or lean in a foundation wall, because without a plumb line we don’t know that our tape is perfectly vertical. In detail below we describe the proper way to measure foundation movement.

It is simple: drop a plumb line near the most-bulged area (usually the center) of the wall, perhaps fastening it to a nail in a floor joist overhead, about 4″ in from the wall. Measure from the string in to the wall at various heights up the wall. You’ll be able to easily pinpoint the height of the most bulge or lean. This is not engineering. It’s simple a simple mason’s method to measure a wall or chimney during construction to keep it plumb.

Photograph of our sketch of a simple way to use a plumb line and measuring tape to determine the amount of lean or bulge in a foundation wall

You may need to hire the services of a licensed professional engineer, [make certain that your engineer is experienced with foundation troubleshooting and repair], especially if there is need to design a special building repair method or if there is apparent risk of possible building instability or collapse.

If you need help from Colorado’s Best Structural Specialists contact  Mike Lombardo (720) 237-3009 or Mike Schmidt (720) 237-3274 for a free estimate on a inspection.