Job Stories

A homeowner in Chesterfield, MI was growing more and more distressed as each day passed. They had recently added an addition to the garage, which was built on a concrete slab and it was beginning to sink. This was causing cracks on the walls and uneven floors inside the home. Determined to save their home and the new addition, they reached out to us for a solution that would put their mind at ease.   Upon arrival, our experienced Project Manager conducted a thorough inspection, utilizing his tools and expertise to assess the foundation's stability. Once he had completed the free inspection and discussed his findings with the homeowner, he recommended the installation of the Helical Pier Support System for the foundation.    The helical pier is a foundation support system designed to provide deep foundation support for residential structures. It consists of a steel shaft with helical plates along its length, resembling large screws. This is where it gets its name from. The first step is to prepare the surrounding area, ensuring there is clear access to the foundation. Next, our crew begins the installation process for the helical piers, they excavate the area around the addition, making sure the holes are precisely positioned in locations where the load-bearing capacity of the soil is optimal. Once the holes are ready, the helical piers are hydraulically driven into the ground, deep beneath the unstable soil layers until they reach more stable, load bearing soil. The helical plates on the piers create a strong anchor, securely holding the foundation in place. This installation method offers several advantages: it minimizes disturbance to the surrounding landscape, provides immediate load-bearing support, and eliminates the need for curing time. With the helical piers securely in place, our crew attaches heavy-duty steel brackets to the foundation's base. These brackets serve as connectors between the piers and the structure, effectively transferring the load from the sinking foundation to the stable piers beneath the ground.   Upon completing the installation, our crew conducted a final inspection to ensure the helical piers are properly aligned and capable of withstanding the structure's weight. Satisfied with their work, the homeowner thanks them for the peace of mind they restored.

A homeowner said a diagonal crack in his basement wall leaked when it rained heavily. We injected the crack with polyurethane and installed power grids to stabilize it.

While approaching their home in Chesterfield, MI, the homeowner noticed that something didn't look right. After a closer look, they realized the home was sinking from left to right. The homeowner thought back to when they had an inspection from HomeSpec 10 years ago, and decided not to address their foundation repair problems at that time. Now the issues had compiled to the point it could no longer be avoided, including a severely sinking foundation. They decided to reach back out to HomeSpec BasementFix again, this time, with the intention of having this issue fully resolved once and for all.Project Manager Mark, who had experience with foundation settlement repair, was sent to the home to provide an inspection, free of charge. While discussing concerns with the homeowner, it was brought to our attention that the back wall was showing signs of tipping. After explaining to the homeowner that weak foundation soils can be washed out completely by rain or shrink due to dry conditions, the weight of the foundation can no longer be structurally supported and this is what causes it to sink and settle. This movement of soil from the surface can cause the foundation to sink into the void left by the soil, and eventually fail. The homeowner, having not realized the gravity of the situation, requested that our project manager come up with a solution as soon as possible. This is what led Mark to propose a custom solution that involved our Helical Pier Support System to raise the foundation and our PowerBrace Wall Support System to bring structural integrity back into the walls. The first step in this foundation repair was for our crew to install the Helical Support System. Helical plates are welded to the galvanized steel piers which act as a screw and dig deep into the ground. Helical piers permanently stabilize the foundation from further settlement and in this case, raise it back to level. The piers are advanced to the appropriate depth without disturbing the weaker unstable soils, allowing the weight of the foundation to be transferred, through the piers, to more capable load bearing soil. Combined with the steel brackets that attach to the home, helical piers present a permanent solution to prevent this homeowners foundation from sinking. The next step in this foundation settlement repair was for our crew to install the PowerBrace Wall Support System. The PowerBrace stops the wall from tilting by installing steel beams that are secured to the beams above using brackets. The PowerBrace is a minimally invasive solution that is adjustable to meet the needs of the home over time. With the home successfully leveled and the foundation wall supported, this homeowner was relieved to have HomeSpec BasementFix provide an excellent solution to their problems. 

A family in Ubly, Mi reached out to HomeSpec with the need for a concrete lifting and leveling contractor nearby. Their driveway was forming cracks due to some of the slabs shifting and sinking as the soil settled and voids were created beneath the surface over time.Our crew would address this problem with the use of a high-pressure polyurethane injection beneath the slabs through tiny holes. This lightweight special formula expands as it cures to lift the concrete above back into place while filling out the voids causing the problem in the first place. We also sealed the cracks with the NexusPro kit to provide a long-lasting waterproof seal and prevent any further damage from taking place.

A family in Ulby, Mi reached out to HomeSpec due to the growing concern around their sagging floors above their crawl space; they were even having trouble opening some of their doors due to the shift. No homeowner wants to feel as though their house is sinking in on itself, or that the floors they walk on may be unsafe. So, their search for a crawl space foundation repair contractor nearby, led them to HomeSpec due to our expertise.After investigating the situation thoroughly, our project manager would propose the use of the SmartJack crawl space support system to help restore the floors to a proper balance. Eliminates the threat of floor failure from moisture, wood rot, or most other threats in the future. The change was quickly noticeable after installation, with the homeowner later commenting that their kids were happy to be allowed to run around the house again without worry.

Jagged staircase-like crack patterns emerging from bowing walls in this Ulby, Mi homeowner's basement led them to search for a foundation repair contractor nearby. When homes are originally built, large holes are dug out for the basement. After construction, the hole was backfilled, creating what engineers call an “active wedge” of loose fill soil that is much less dense than undisturbed, native soil. Water flows into this area more easily, exerting inward pressure on your foundation—even more so when the water freezes or clay soils expand. Under stress, the walls can begin to crack, bow or lean in.   The homeowners made the right call to address this problem, before foundation stability deteriorated or water damage from water leaking in through growing cracks became additional concerns. Our crew would install the PowerBrace system to help permanently stabilize the walls. A design that involves load distributing top brackets and an adjustable system to tighten the supports overtime and help reverse the leaning and bowing effects. The homeowner was appreciative of the relatively unintrusive process since no heavy equipment was needed for the installation.

This family in Kinde, Mi decided it was time to get their driveways decorative concrete slabs leveled. Over time they multiple slabs had awkwardly settled, sunk, and began cracking as a further repercussion. It was the main cause preventing them from winning their neighborhood home excellence award.We had our crew use the PolyLevel system to provide an effective and efficient solution. Drilling small pea-sized holes into the concrete would allow us to use a powerful polyurethane injection that would expand as it cures to easily lift the concrete back to level. We would then repair the previous cracks with a waterproof sealant for a long-lasting finish  

While attempting to sell their home, this family discovered bowing basement walls through an inspection that was lowering their property value and making it harder to sell.To help restore their foundations support, as well as their property value, we installed our PowerBrace system to permanently stabilize the foundation walls. Using custom fit steel beams that are tightly secured with brackets and anchored to the floor below, the PowerBrace is designed to be possible to tightened over time to permanently eliminate any further inward movement  

A homeowner in Kinde, Mi reached out to HomeSpec for assistance with their sinking deck foundation. A long-standing problem that was proving to only worsen over time.For fast, effective installation to level a lighter structure like a deck, our crew used a system of helical piers. With modular sections that can be added to until the pier reaches the necessary depth, they offer a great deal of reliable versatility.  

This New Haven homeowner wanted to finish his basement, but he had water seeping in at several spots. He put waterproofing material on the wall (shown in photo), but it didn't work and water continued to penetrate. Many customers contact us after not being able to fix problems themselves with DIY hacks. The homeowner called HomeSpec to professionally waterproof the basement so he could finally renovate.  Our crew installed an interior drainage system with a sump pump. This system will collect the water, funnel it into the sump pump, which will them expel the water away from the home through a discharge line. We also installed our ThermalDry wall system which creates a radiant heat barrier to keep heat inside your basement, but also works with the waterproofing system to keep the basement dry. It does this by acting as a vapor barrier and directing water down to the drainage system.