HomeSpec Waterproofing and Foundation Repair Case Studies: Wall Supports Installed to Ensure Future Basement Finishing
Challenge
A homeowner in Carsonville, Mi was looking to get their basement finished and fully furnished as part of a project to create a new recreation room to enjoy in their off time after work. A wonderful comfort, that any homeowner would happily welcome. However, they found large stair-case shaped horizontal cracks along their poured concrete walls. It looked to be mainly leaning in from the top, an indication of the need for foundation repair or wall support. Basements are constantly under a level of external pressure from the weight of saturated soft soils pushing in from the outside, compromised walls can start leaning in, bowing, cracking and more. Leaving these matters alone can lead to water leaks, and structural integrity issues. After reading up on the problem, the homeowner realized they couldn't realistically move forward with their plans for their basement until this issue was directly addressed. They searched for basement wall supports, and foundation repair contractors nearby and were introduced to HomeSpec Basementfix.
Solution
Our project manager, Ted, was very familiar with this type of problem with his years of experience. He would discuss the situation from start to finish with the homeowner to understand the full scope of the homeowners concerns and needs. After discussions were concluded, Ted conducted an insightful investigation and inspection of the property to determine causes of the problem, and also to see if there were any other possible issues that may interfere with the homeowners future plans. Ted wanted to ensure he could propose a solution that would be nonintrusive or easily concealable for the purposes of finishing the basement, while directly and permanently addressing the basement foundation repair issue.
The proposed custom solution would be in the form of the Carbon Armor system. The CarbonArmor system is comprised of specially engineered carbon fiber polymers that have proven to be over ten times stronger than regular steel, while maintaining a level of flexibility to help it adjust to a walls contour. The basement wall supports are adhered and bonded to the area with a powerful epoxy resin that penetrates both the straps and the wall itself. The support straps are combined with special locking brackets called ArmorLock which help stop wall tipping and would directly address the problem of leaning in from the top.
The reason this was the particular solution proposed was to be respectful of the owners wishes on future basement projects while addressing the issue at hand. This basement wall support system is quickly installed with minimal invasion due to the thin design of the straps themselves, while also remaining easily possible to conceal or paint over. A long-term solution that wouldn't compromise the overall design of the future rec room.
The homeowner was very appreciative with the care and consideration our team put into ensuring their needs were met, and future plans accounted for. Each situation is unique, and we want to be sure that we handle them with a customized approach.
