Job Stories

A homeowner who lived in Shelby Township, MI had big plans for a house flip. Eager to complete the renovations and move to a warmer climate, they had been diligently working on the property before putting it up for sale. However, during the renovation process, they noticed a concerning issue in the basement—a wall that was bowing inward. Recognizing the importance of addressing this problem with a professional, they contacted us for the project.   When the homeowner reached out to us, they explained that despite the bowing wall, they had not experienced any water intrusion in the basement. Additionally, the homeowner mentioned that they had previously installed French drains in the backyard to divert water away from the house. While this measure helped prevent water from entering the basement, it did not address the structural issue causing the bowing wall.   Based on a thorough assessment of the basement, our Project Manager recommended they have us install the PowerBrace Load-Bearing System.   The PowerBrace system is designed to stabilize and potentially straighten bowing or buckling basement walls. It's made of strong steel I-beams that are installed vertically along the affected wall, anchoring the basement floor to the floor joists above. These beams provide structural support and help prevent further inward movement of the wall. With each beam in place, our crew made sure to tighten them gradually to provide enough support and correct the bowing.   With this essential improvement in place, the homeowner could confidently proceed with their house flip, knowing that whoever bought the house after them would enjoy a secure basement.

A homeowner contacted us after he found two cracks while doing work in his basement. Our team also discovered another crack that needed to be repaired. We injected the three cracks with polyurethane and installed power grids on a wall to prevent future movement. 

One summer, this Romeo, Michigan homeowner felt that his home was more humid than normal. His air conditioner was working overtime trying to cool the sticky, dense air. One day he went into his crawl space for something, and witnessed a scene that shocked him - condensation had formed over all of the surfaces. It was extremely musty and wet.  The homeowner was surprised because he thought having opening vents in his crawl space would allow air to pass through freely and keep it dry - but it did the exact opposite. This is a very common misconception. When the humid air enters the crawl space, it cools and deposits moisture. That’s when you find condensation - and eventually mold. Our crawl space expert explained this to the homeowner after completing the inspection. The homeowner decided to have his crawl space encapsulated and a dehumidifier installed to solve this problem. The vapor barrier sealed the entire area and blocked water vapor from entering. Our powerful dehumidifier controlled the moisture in the air. The homeowner felt an immediate difference in the air quality of the home above. He was so glad he called HomeSpec!  

The basement in his Romeo home flooded badly after a heavy rainfall. The power went out during the storm, and with it, the sump pump. Luckily, the basement wasn't finished and there weren't too many belongings on the ground. Too often are precious memories or things ruined by floods - including the basement itself. The homeowner was stressed and never wanted this to happen again, so she called HomeSpec.  Our team installed a full basement waterproofing system. That includes an interior drainage system which will collect water from under the floor and from the walls and filter it into the TripleSafe sump pump. This sump is equipped with 3 pumps for triple the power and protection. It's powerful enough to pump out thousands of gallons of water an hour. She also decided to have a sump pump alarm installed to immediately alert her in case the pumps are working for any reason. This homeowner can now rest assured that her basement is dry and protected. 

This Romeo, Michigan family was quickly growing. They had two children and were expecting twins, so they needed more living space. That's when they decided to finish their basement, but there was one problem - it wasn't waterproofed. They had a lot of water problems in the past and didn't want to risk it. This is when HomeSpec stepped in. We used an interior drainage system and a sump pump to waterproof the basement. Then we installed our BrightWall panels over the walls to act as a vapor barrier and brighten up the living space. Unlike drywall, they are rigid plastic panels that are waterproof and washable! For the flooring, the homeowners chose ThermalDry® carpeted floor tiles, which keeps your basement floor dry and warm. Made of inorganic materials, the homeowners won't have to worry about mold or rot. Since their young boys' rooms were being moved to the basement, they were worried about the kids damaging the tiles. HomeSpec assured them that individual tiles can easily be replaced. The homeowners were happy they were able to waterproof their basement and double their living space. 

This homeowner contacted HomeSpec to repair his sunken and cracked walkway. Our crew injected our expanding PolyLevel foam under the concrete slabs to raise and level them, then repaired the cracks with our strong silicone-based sealant for a brand new looking walkway.

Poured foundation walls often suffer from leaking vertical cracks and rod holes. The cracks naturally form when the foundation settles, and the rod holes are left in the walls from when the basement was originally built.  HomeSpec injected cracks and rod holes in this Caseville home with a flexible sealant that moves as the foundation settles to keep it from leaking. 

The owners of this old Imlay City home contacted HomeSpec to repair their damaged foundation. The walls were cracked and bowing inward, which jeopardizes the structural integrity of the home.  To solve this problem, our crew installed PowerBraces along the bowing wall. These beams stabilize the wall and potentially straighten it to its original position. The homeowners felt relieved to have this issue resolved and were very thankful to the crew at HomeSpec. 

A homeowner contacted HomeSpec because she had cracked, leaking walls that were bowing. Our team installed beams to stabilize the walls and an interior drainage system for water in the basement. 

A homeowner in Eastpointe, MI was in their backyard throwing a birthday party when they noticed the sliding glass door to get back into the house would not open properly. A common sign of foundation settlement, they set the issue aside for the time being. Once the party had ended, she went into the backyard to try and figure out why the door wouldn't open properly. After a quick walk around, she also noticed the back wall of her home had large cracks, another sign of foundation settlement. After doing some research. She decided to check her porch's level and noted that it was, in fact, slanted. Realizing this was a bigger issue than she initially thought, and with no intention of moving anytime soon, she set out to look for the best foundation repair companies nearby. HomeSpec BasementFix was selected as the home repair contractor of choice for this job.Ben, who had experience in foundation repair, was sent to the property to discuss the homeowners' concerns in more detail and provide a free foundation inspection. After addressing the homeowner's worries and taking notes of the different types of cracks he found during the inspection, Ben looked at the porch sinking and immediately realized that this was a foundation settlement-related issue. Some of the more common signs of foundation settlement are doors not being able to open or close properly, cracks in the walls and uneven living spaces. Foundation settlement happens when one of the layers of soil under your home, typically the top layer, starts to shift, creating voids that the foundation settles into. Each layer is composed of different types of soil which have different properties that affect the ability to support the weight of the home. Typically, the soil gets more compact and stronger the deeper you go, and this is why Ben recommended our Helical Pier Support System as the best solution to homeowners' concerns.Our Helical Pier Support System works best for this homeowners foundation repair because of its ability to stabilize the foundation from settling further and bring the porch back to its original position. When the soil gets too dry, it can cause the layers to shrink, and when it gets too wet, the top layer of soil can wash out completely, leaving a void that the foundation wants to fill. Helical Piers solve this problem with the helical plates that are welded to the shaft of the pier. These plates act as a screw and dig deep into new load bearing soils, which then act as an anchor to the ground. The first step was to expose the foundation and prepare the footing for the pier system; then the Helical Pier is adjusted to the appropriate height and advanced into the ground. This fast and effective process is capable of transferring the weight of the foundation to more competent layers of soil that will be able to support the foundation for an extended period of time. Helical Piers are a permanent solution designed with homeowners' peace of mind at the forefront of the support system.With the porch successfully restored to its original height, the homeowner was relieved to learn that this problem was addressed before a larger foundation settlement issue caused even more headaches.