Job Stories

On a cold day in Armada, MI a homeowner was spending time in their basement when their eyes began to wander over the walls. Noticing the cracks, they set the problem aside for a later date and continued to enjoy their recently purchased home. One day, while rearranging the layout of the basement, they noticed one of the walls was no longer straight; some of them had begun to bow inwards. Realizing it was time to address the problem, they set out to search for basement foundation repair companies nearby. After extensive research, and consulting family, HomeSpec BasementFix was recommended as the best foundation repair contractor for this job. Mark, our Project Manager who specializes in foundation repair, was called out to the home to perform a free inspection and further address the concerns of the homeowner. After noting the poured concrete walls in the basement, Mark explained that expansive soils, which is the buildup of hydrostatic pressure due to the excess moisture, was most likely the cause of the walls bowing inwards and cracking. Foundation failure was one of the concerns brought to our attention, which led to Mark proposing our CarbonArmor Wall Support System to stop the bowing and the SmartJack Crawl Space Support System to prevent the floors from sagging. In order to solve the bowing walls, our CarbonArmor Wall Support System uses carbon fiber-reinforced polymers to contour to the walls of the foundation. CarbonArmor is many times stronger than steel, combined with our ArmorLock brackets; it prevents the wall from leaning in at the top and moving further inward. With quick, same day installation, CarbonArmor is an effective solution to prevent the walls from bowing inwards. The next thing our crew did in this foundation repair was install the SmartJack Support System. With traditional support posts being susceptible to wood rot, mold and pests, they can often fail, causing the floors in the living space to sag. This is uncomfortable to live with, and the SmartJack solves this by creating a base of engineered fill to provide a solid base for the support jacks to rest on. The galvanized steel columns are corrosion resistant and capable of supporting loads up to 60,000 lbs. Heavy duty threading in the rods allows for year-round adjustment to the needs of the home, making this support system an ideal solution for this repair. With the wall protected from the outside pressure, and preventative measures taken with the support jacks, this homeowner was pleased with the work done by our crew and happy to have their peace of mind restored.   

The homeowner contacted HomeSpec because she wanted to waterproof the basement of her new home. Water was leaking into the basement from several areas. Our team waterproofed the basement and installed an interior drainage system so the homeowner could renovate the space. 

A homeowner contacted us because he had water leaking into his basement from one wall. Our team installed an interior drainage system with a sump pump to alleviate future water issues. 

These homeowners contacted HomeSpec because they wanted their crawl space encapsulated. They also had concerns about their interior drainage system and sump pump system (installed by another company), because they were still having water issues in their basement. Upon inspection, it was found that the IDS was clogged with iron algae so we recommended it was flushed out. The homeowners only went ahead with the crawl space encapsulation and a dehumidifier at the time though. But two years later, their pump failed and the water back-up sprayed all over their basement. They were now ready to have a new system installed by HomeSpec. So our crew removed the old system, and installed a new interior drainage system - with a new sump pump and battery backup to ensure that wouldn't happen again. The backup keeps the pump running even if there's a loss of power. The homeowners recently had their annual system flush and are still happy with the work that was done by HomeSpec! 

A homeowner in Harrison, MI was planning on finishing and renovating their basement in order to make it a primary place for the family to spend time. She realized that wouldn't be possible until she addressed the bowing wall, sagging floors and cracks in her ceiling. While speaking to a friend that recently had basement waterproofing done by us, they recommended HomeSpec BasementFix as the best foundation repair contractor nearby. Dave, a Project Manager experienced in foundation repair, was sent to the property to provide a free inspection and discuss the problems with the homeowner. While addressing the concerns, it was brought to his attention that the floor was sloping and the crawl space support posts needed to be looked at. While completing his inspection, Dave explained that bowing walls are the result of hydrostatic pressure. When expanding soils push up against the walls causing it to bow inwards, over time, this results in severe damage to the structural integrity of the foundation and can lower the value of the property. Our project manager proposed a custom solution for this homeowner by recommending our SmartJack Support System to address the sagging floors and our Carbon Armor Wall Support System to solve the bowing walls.The first step in solving this homeowners foundation repair problem was to bring the floors back to level with our SmartJack Support System. Traditional wooden crawl space support posts are subject to high humidity, aside from the wood rot, wooden support posts can sag, causing the floors above to sink. SmartJack solves this by stabilizing the crawl space beams and floor joists. The SmartJack is made of zinc-plated galvanized steel to resist corrosion and eliminate the threat of floor failure by preventing mold, moisture and wood rot. This solution was ideal for the homeowner because its permanent nature allows it to be adjusted year-round to meet the needs of the home. The SmartJack Support System is proven to support loads of more than 60,000 lbs. Giving the homeowner peace of mind when it comes to leveling out the floor. The next step in this project was to install our Carbon Armor Wall Support System. Under stress, foundation walls can begin to crack or bow-in. Our Carbon Armor solution prevents this from happening by using carbon fiber-reinforced polymers to prevent the wall from leaning in and moving further inward. With our exclusive ArmorLock brackets, the straps are adhered with a high strength yet flexible epoxy to contour to the bowing basement walls. These Carbon Armor straps work well for this homeowner because they can easily be painted over to provide minimal disruption when renovating her basement. With same day installation, the Carbon Armor wall is a permanent solution to stabilize block foundation walls. With the homeowner ready to renovate her basement and her fears put to rest, she was pleased to receive a referral discount and recommend HomeSpec BasementFix to neighbors in need of repair. 

This homeowner in Argyle, Mi knew their home was sinking for quite a while with how unlevel it was becoming on one particular side of the house. They had past inspections done but were hesitant to get the proper work done to correct it until their uncle finally pushed them, explaining all the trouble he had in his own home previously for a similar issue. Searching for a foundation repair contractor with a trustworthy reputation led them to HomeSpec!   Our team tended to their worries using our helical pier system underneath the edges of their home. Able to support the weight without any worry, additional sections can be added to the pier until it reaches the necessary depth. Helical piers have a great deal of versatility for stabilizing and restoring foundations and masonry elements. The family was relieved they didn't have to go through the same troubles their uncle did, and even received a discount on the job through his referral!

A homeowner in Argyle, Mi discovered through an inspection that their home was built upon a slab. They discovered this fact the hard way when looking for a reason to explain their garage shifting and sinking on one particular side, with evidence of intense rains causing a washout effect along the base. It was clear that the soil had begun to settle with the foundation; following suit; they needed a foundation repair expert to help them find a proper solution.Our team will tackle these issues with the use of Slab piers. Slab piers are push piers designed specifically to stabilize and (in some cases) raise slabs that have settled. This type of pier is driven into the soil in the settlement area, deep enough to connect the slab to stable, load-bearing soil or bedrock. The helical blades anchor to the soil as the pier is essentially screwed into the ground.Even though they were only using the garage as storage space, they wanted to ensure their property value in case they decided to move to a new home in the near future, selling the current one..    

A family in Argyle, Mi had a small playground installed in their backyard for their kids consisting of a swing set, slide, jungle gym, and teeter-totter. However, the poured concrete slab they had placed to be the foundation of this playset, was sinking on one side as the soil below began to settle. Having one side slowly sinking over the years, made the entire playset a large metal hazard that endangered their kids' safety and needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. AOur team handled this task with a PolyLevel injection system meant to lift the concrete back into place. Having the PolyLevel injection cure within an hour meant the kids could safely return to playing outside on the playset the same day. PolyLevel is an excellent solution set that provides a more reliable and less invasive answer to mudjacking for concrete lifting needs. The homeowners were surprised at just how efficient the process was!    

A family in Bad Axe, Mi had repeatedly attempted to seal a leaking vertical crack in their basement themselves but found no success. The crack would continue to leak through their sealants and cause water damage. They decided it was time to look for a Basement Waterproofing Contractor nearby, in order to handle the situation once and for all. That's how they ended up contacting HomeSpec Basementfix.   Our crew would set to work immediately, using a high-pressure urethane injection to fill out the crack with a reliable waterproof seal. As a final touch we would also cover the crack using an application of FlexiSpan, which is a specially formulated waterproof crack sealant that is capable of adapting to a walls natural movement overtime to ensure a long-lasting reliable solution. Repeated attempts at self-repair can become more costly overtime as they fail. For proper basement waterproofing needs, it's best to contact a professional.

Adding a patio to the home can increase its property value, which is exactly what this family in Chesterfield, MI, had in mind when they built it. Unfortunately, not long after its construction, they began to notice how it slanted too much to one side. Not wanting to have their home lose value, they came to the conclusion that it was time to address the root of the problem. After a search for foundation repair nearby, they were directed to HomeSpec BasementFix as the foundation repair contractors best fit for this job.Ted, our Project Manager, who had prior experience with sinking foundations, was called out to do a free inspection of the property and address the homeowners concerns in more detail. Ted explained to the owners that over time, the soils beneath the patio can shift, causing a void that the concrete foundation sinks into. This can be due to many reasons, such as too much moisture causing soils to wash out completely, or if the soil is too dry, it can crumble under the weight. Understanding the need for the homeowners to restore property value and return the patio to its original condition, Ted laid out a solution for the family that involved the Helical Pier Support System to add structural integrity back into the foundation.The Helical Pier Support System gets its name from the helical plates welded to the shaft of the pier. These plates act as a screw, digging deeper into more competent load bearing soils in order to transfer the weight of the foundation from the weaker soil. Helical Piers are an ideal solution for this foundation repair because its permanent nature anchors the foundation to the newer load bearing soils, allowing for the structural integrity to remain intact. Due to the specifically designed helical plates, advancing the piers deeper into the ground does not add weight to weaker soils, allowing it to reach bedrock if needed without compromising the strength or integrity of the support system. The Helical Pier Support System provided results the family could see firsthand and were more than happy to recommend HomeSpec BasementFix to friends in need of foundation repair.