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A homeowner in Columbiaville, MI purchased their two-story 1900 home with the intention of remodeling. However, before the renovations could begin, the home would first need to be supported. The homeowner knew this to be true because the floors were sagging and sloping. They suspected the home would need support beams and the main beam to be repaired, but they wanted a professional to evaluate the situation and provide an estimate.
Ted, one of HomeSpec’s senior project managers, inspected the home and made a plan to meet the homeowner’s goals. He proposed using 16 SmartJack® supports to not only stabilize the home but also lift where the floors were not level. The homeowner was pleased with this plan and agreed to have HomeSpec install the SmartJack® supports. The crew responsible for this project was led by foreman Jon. The homeowner was happy to know their home was thoroughly supported and that they could move on to the rest of the renovations.
This Family in New Lothrop, MI had been experiencing musty odors and mold growth in their crawl space, this led them to reach out to us for installation. When we arrived, we noticed the amount of debris was obstructing us from applying the CleanSpace Encapsulation System, so the first step was to remove all the debris and then install the system for this family. After the installation, they were relieved to breathe fresh air and not have to worry about the odors or any mold growth affecting their crawl space.
Everyone dreams of having a beautiful cottage on the lake to escape to every summer. These homeowners loved their vacation home in the quiet town of Otter Lake, Michigan. But on a recent visit, they noticed a musty smell coming from the basement - and they found water pooled on the floor.
They decided to call around get estimates for the repair, but ultimately chose HomeSpec to waterproof the basement. Our experts proposed a WaterGuard Below Floor Drain connected to a TripleSafe sump pump - a powerful system that can pump out over 2,000 gallons of water from the basement every hour.
Since the homeowners don't live in the cottage year-round, we also suggested installing a sump pump alarm. A battery-operated alarm alerts you when water is rising in the sump basin, but the pumps haven't turned on. This allows you to figure out what the problem is, potentially preventing the flooding that would have occurred had you not known the pump was not working properly.
The drainage system was installed around the perimeter of the basement and connected to the sump pump with the alarm. Since the homeowners spend months away from the cottage at a time, they are so relieved that they don't have to worry about their basement while they're away.
These new homeowners had a big obstacle to overcome as soon as they bought their beautiful new home - the damaged foundation. The block basement walls were bowing inward and severely cracked, which was letting water in as well. The floors above were sagging due to the lack of support in the basement. It was a big project, but HomeSpec was ready to take it on!
Our professionals designed a custom solution for this basement. Our crew installed our PowerBrace and CarbonArmor Wall Stabilization Systems to repair the walls and potentially even straighten them over time. The cracks were then sealed to waterproof the block walls. Support posts were installed to raise the floors and prevent them from sagging again in the future.
This Marlette, Michigan homeowner was very worried about the foundation wall in her basement. The wall was not only severely cracked and bowing inward, but also shearing at the bottom of the wall.
When a wall is bowing (and shearing) it's because the wall is under stress and being pushed inward, usually by hydrostatic pressure or expansive soils. If left alone, the wall could collapse and have to be completely rebuilt.
Fortunately, that didn't happen in this case. Foreman Ryan Loop and his crew were able to repair the wall with the PowerBrace™ Wall Repair System. This consists of steel I-beams that prevent further inward movement and can potentially straighten the wall since the braces can be tightened.
The horizontal and stair-step cracks in the mortar were filled, and the shearing was also repaired. The homeowner can now rest easy knowing her foundation is no longer at risk, and she's very happy with the results!