Basement Waterproofing Case Studies: Birmingham, Mi Inspection Reveals Needs for Basement Waterproofing, Crawl Space Encapsulation and Egress Window Installation

Challenge

This family was looking at moving into a new home in Birmingham, Mi and wanted to have the home inspected to ensure all possible issues were resolved before buying so that there wouldn’t be any problems down the line for their living situation, as well as anything that could affect them selling the home later. During a general inspection earlier, they found some bowed walls in the basement that would need to be braced. However, the family said they’d rather have a specialist do another inspection to see if there were any other needs to address. The homeowner’s real estate agent had met HomeSpec's representative, Mark, through a previous inspection and reached out to us directly for the inspection. Mark was delighted to be of service and began his inspection process of the potential home as soon as possible. The homeowners told Mark during their initial meeting that they wanted to finish the basement and make sure it was both structurally sound, as well as dry, so they could have a personal leisure area and guest room in the house.              

Though uncommon, this home had both a basement and 2 crawl spaces, the ladder of which the potential buyers were unaware of in its entirety until Mark's inspection. These two crawl spaces were probably added on as previous owners expanded the area of the basement over time. The crawl space had been unkempt for a long time, filled with a mess of debris and the fiberglass insulation had worn out. They would need crawl space insulation. To convert the basement to livable space for a guestroom, would also require the installation of an egress window for a proper emergency exit route.  Beyond that, the foundation walls needed to be braced to address their original concerns, and there were signs of slight basement water damage in addition to the lack of a functioning sump pump and drainage system that arose some alarm bells during inspection. For this family to receive peace of mind for the foreseeable future, and to ensure they'd maximize the value of the home and not 

Solution

Mark was sure to detail each of his findings as he retraced the steps of his inspection to the family and proposed a solution plan that our crew would enact. First, we'd begin by addressing their primary concern and bracing the walls with our carbon armor system. CarbonArmor uses carbon fiber-reinforced polymers that are many times stronger than steel, yet flexible enough to contour to bowing basement walls, coupled with our exclusive ArmorLock brackets; the straps prevent the wall from leaning in at the top and moving further inward. The cracks that formed from the wall bowing over time, would also be filled and covered as a precaution, via tuck-pointing.      

Next would come waterproofing the basement before moving on to the window and crawl space. Light water stain patterns near the windowsill indicated a possible problem that could worsen with repeated rainfall. The basement needed a proper drainage system and sump pump to handle any possible waterflow and ensure the area remained dry. To address these problems, the WaterGuard basement drainage system would be introduced to intercept water at the perimeter of the basement and drain it away unseen to the TripleSafe Sump pump. WaterGuard uses special wall flanges to create space between the floor and wall, while being designed not to sit in the dirt to avoid clogging. The TripleSafe basement sump pump is the world's most reliable pumping system. Since the main problems with a standard pump are: pump failure, power failure, and not being able to handle a large volume of water, the TripleSafe is designed to address each issue with a specialized pump. As the name suggests, this system uses 3 pumps, a powerful primary 1/3 hp pump to handle traditional needs, a secondary 1/2 pump to help offset extreme cases of rising water levels as well as to serve as a backup should the first fail, and the third pump as a battery powered backup system in case of a power outage or other emergency that could hinder the first two while being capable of discharging up to 11,500 gallons of water on a single charge. A proven and long-lasting solution for basement water problems.    

The next step would be the installation of the egress window and using the SunHouse enclosure to protect it and ensure longevity. The SunHouse encloses at the bottom to prevent weed growth and keeps the inside clean; will never rot, rust or corrode, and helps redirect as much natural sunlight as possible into the basement.        

The final step would be to address the two crawl spaces. Debris would have to be removed from each to ensure safe and proper access for the insulation process. While fiberglass insulation tends to be the easiest and cheapest DIY solution for basement insulation, homeowners often find they get what they paid for. Fiberglass not only loses its R-value when wet but can also support the growth of mold and allergens, and since air easily passes through the material, it can lead to an uncomfortable living arrangement above. SilverGlo is expanded polystyrene insulation with graphite infused into it. The tiny particles of graphite reflect heat and lower the material's conductivity for superior R-value. This type of crawl space insulation helps keep warmth in the winter throughout the house and can even help reduce heating bills with their heat reflective material.

The family was able to use these findings from the inspection, to buy the house at a lower cost by bringing all the work to the seller's attention. They were able to use their savings to enact the proposed solution plan, with money left over. It was an absolute win for this new homeowner, and all they had to do was contact HomeSpec Basementfix.

Project Summary

Sales Rep: Mark Buhr