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The Fortress System: 
Proven to be more than good looks.

Installing carbon on a wall and making it look good is easy. Having it perform well, however, is an entirely different matter. The forces that cause walls to bow in the first place will most likely return. The difference between a carbon reinforcement system that works and a system that may fail is a multifaceted set of controllable variables. We test each feature of the Fortress Stabilization System to address the external forces that will continue to work against the basement wall. Your homeowner needs to feel confident about the stability of their basement for the life of their home. Fortress is the system to provide that confidence.


HERE'S WHY...

A lifetime of basement security.

Carbon fiber must be under tension to get the benefit. It is imperative to apply carbon straight to achieve the correct tension. Fortress cures its carbon straight and without wrinkles, making it rigid enough to lay over the mortar and small cracks, not curve into these depressions.

Why does this matter? While under external pressures, wrinkled carbon may not continue to hold throughout the life of the home. Over the years, a gradual increase in external pressure on non-tension carbon could cause the carbon to separate from the concrete and fail to hold the wall. You need the Fortress carbon system to prevent this failure. 

The alignment of the carbon fiber is essential.

Understanding how important it is to keep the carbon straight and under tension led to the creation of our unique manufacturing process. Fortress straps are aligned in such a way that keeps every tow straight and provides the necessary tension to get the full benefit of the carbon. Our carbon wall reinforcement system is engineered with completely straight, pre-tensioned carbon. 

Our competitor's carbon fiber is a basic weave pattern that does not allow the strands to remain straight. The strands can elongate and loosen over time. You wouldn't secure precious cargo with bungee cords — you would use a tightened ratchet strap. So don't put carbon fiber wall support that has room to elongate on a customers wall.

Anchored for strength.

Anchoring wall systems at the ends are necessary to utilize the full strength of carbon. Fortress engineers each plate anchor to out-perform the home’s foundation and withstand tremendous shear forces, keeping the carbon straps in place and the basement wall safe. A rigid plate anchor and legs prevent shear forces from moving the wall. Think of Velcro and how easy it is to peel. Most other bottom anchors could let the carbon peel off the wall like Velcro. 

Post-tensioned for proven stability.

Fortress puts over 1,000 lbs. of tension into their top anchors at the time of installation, preventing future movement. Other systems don’t provide this level of necessary tension. Like a tightly tensioned ratcheted strap, the Fortress top anchor provides the necessary tension to take up any slack and keep the wall true. 

 

View our installation videos.

The details for installing the top anchor and bottom anchor can be found on the For Pros page on our web site. Click the button below...

Go to the For Pros page

Your reputation as a business depends on the performance of the products you install. We hope that you'll feel confident using carbon for foundation reinforcement. Fortress continues to grow after 20 years, continually developing the best practices for securing residential foundations. Our system, with over a dozen patents and ICC certification, is homegrown in the USA. We stand behind our contractors with a lifetime warranty. Please let us know if you have any questions or need additional support. We are here to help you and your business do well as you serve your communities.

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