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This Harsens Island homeowner wanted to build over his old garage and renovate it, but he had a problem. The interior and exterior block walls were covered in stair-step cracks and the structure was in bad shape. He wanted these repaired, so he called the experts at HomeSpec.
Our foundation specialists took a road trip (and then a ferry) up to Harsens Island to inspect the problem and provide a proposal. They ended up discovering that the cracks were a result of something more serious - foundation sinking. The problem would only get worse, and only fixing the cosmetic issues wouldn't solve anything.
This happened because the soil under the foundation was too unstable/loose to support it. Helical piers were needed to stabilize the structure. The piers are screwed deep into stronger, more competent soil. They anchor into the ground and the weight of the foundation is transferred to prevent further sinking. They can even lift the foundation to its original position!
Now that the garage is stabilized, the homeowner is excited to continue with his renovations!
These homeowners in Marine City, MI contacted HomeSpec because their floors were sagging. Their mobile home sat on a crawl space and we suspected faulty support posts were leading to the saggy floors since we see it often.
Sure enough, during the inspection, rusting and rotting posts were discovered. It's crucial to have sturdy support in the crawl space to prevent issues like this from occurring and worsening. So to solve this problem, our crew replaced the posts with our SmartJack Support Posts to raise and level the floors above.
The homeowner also wanted the crawl space encapsulated, so we sealed the walls and floor with the CleanSpace Vapor Barrier to keep it as healthy as possible.
Now their floors are no longer sagging and their crawl space is dry and clean!
A homeowner in Newport, MI had not experienced any issues in their crawl space for over 20 years, until they noticed a musty odor beginning to permeate through the home. Confused as to what could be causing this they reached out to us for a solution. We recommended having their crawlspace encapsulated due to the water rising above level, this was most likely the cause of the musty odor that was spreading throughout the home.
There is no sugar coating this – this foundation was in BAD shape. The homeowner bought the house in Grosse Ile, Michigan with intentions to fix it up and repair the obvious issues in the basement. First of all, water would seep through the block walls and leak into the basement. The walls were covered in stains making them look very unsightly. The walls were also severely cracked and bowing inward, which is dangerous for the entire structure.
The homeowner didn't want to cut corners, she wanted everything repaired properly and permanently. After Project Manager Mark Buhr developed a repair plan, Foreman Jerry Blevins and his crew got to work.
The foundation walls first needed to be excavated and pushed back as into place. Then a Carbon Fiber System was installed to stabilized the walls and prevent them from moving again. To solve the water issues, a WaterGuard Below Floor Drainage System was installed around the perimeter of the basement to prevent water intrusion. Our CleanSpace Vapor Barrier was installed over the walls to prevent moisture and water vapor from entering, but instead directs it down into the drainage system. Lastly, we installed our SilverGlo Insulation to seal the rim joists.
The homeowner sincerely thanked HomeSpec for making a serious, tiring issue get fixed so smoothly and quickly.
Ruth in Grosse Ile, Michigan reached out to HomeSpec to repair her damaged foundation walls. The walls were cracked and bowing, allowing water to seep in. Ruth was worried about the large project and didn't know what to do, but HomeSpec reassured her that we would solve her issues permanently before they worsen.
Our project manager Mark Buhr first conducted the inspection to develop a repair plan. Foreman Ryan Loop and his crew then got to work. They excavated the foundation wall to push the wall back to it's original position, then waterproofed the exterior. Inside, the PowerBrace Wall Repair System and Carbon Fiber Straps were used to stabilize the walls and stop them from moving. They were even able to straighten the bowing wall. Lastly, all cracks were sealed and new glass block windows replaced the old ones.
Ruth no longer needs to stress about her foundation. The walls are not only stabilized, but waterproofed as well.