Ayers Basement Systems Before & After Photos

This Scotts, MI customer first became interested in a crawl space encapsulation a few years ago. Unfortunately, the only access door to the crawl space was covered in snow, so both her and our crew were forced to wait until the snow thawed.  Once our system design specialist was finally able to go into the home, he discovered that not only was water getting into the crawl space, the pipes were freezing during colder temperatures. He decided the best thing for the crawl space would be both an encapsulation and insulation installation.

The after photo shows both systems that were used to save the crawl space from its temperature and water issues. CleanSpace liner is the white plastic covering the crawl space floor. As a vapor barrier, it will keep out the moisture that rises through the dirt floor then wets and cools the crawl space. The spray foam on the walls is one of our insulation methods. Once applied, the waterproof foam seals up any leaks or holes in the cobblestone wall and simultaneously insulates. Neither temperature or moisture should affect this crawl space again.

We worked on this Kalamazoo, MI crawl space as a part of a full waterproofing job the owner wanted for her basement. She noticed water on the walls of the basement and thought that it may have gotten into one of her two crawl spaces, as well. The before photo shows that some damage had definitely been done to this one. Crawl spaces without encapsulations are always at risk because both the dirt floor and walls are easy ways for water to pass through. The after photo shows our CleanSpace floor encapsulation.

CleanSpace is a waterproof vapor barrier that won’t permit the passage of moisture into the crawl space. The stains in the before photo suggest that a large amount of the water was coming down the walls, so they need a system of protection as well. The SilverGlo wall panels in the after photo are wall insulation and a waterproof barrier that will protect the crawl space in a similar way to CleanSpace. 

 There are several reasons why an unsealed crawl space can be a problem. For this crawl space in Kalamazoo, the dirt floors and cinderblock walls were the main areas of concern. Since dirt naturally holds some water, in a crawl space this water evaporates from the dirt into the air making the space damp. This humid air can cause the HVAC system to run overtime, resulting in higher energy bills. The block walls are also problematic since they’re so porous, meaning they readily suck up water from the ground, causing wet walls, which evaporates into the air.

It’s clear to see the reasons for installing CleanSpace in this home’s crawl space. Not only does this liner provide a moisture barrier from the ground and the walls, but also it’s incredibly durable and is made with an antimicrobial additive. Now these homeowners can be confident that they’ll have a dry crawl space for years to come.

The walkway leading to this homeowner’s home was settled, cracked and beginning to separate from the porch outside of the home. Thankfully, our team of experts used the PolyLevel system to level out the concrete slabs and prevent them from settling again in the future. We drilled small holes into the concrete and injected them with a specialized polymer material that expanded to lift the slabs back to their proper level. This system addressed the weak soil issue below the slabs that caused them to sink in the first place and made sure the problem was fixed once and for all. The last step in this installation was to seal off the cracks in the slab with NexusPro joint sealant, which was used to stop the cracks from expanding over time.

This Kalamazoo, MI Garage wall has seen better days. The concrete garage wall had an enormous horizontal crack spanning the length of the whole wall. Not only is this a scary sight for any homeowner, but the fear of knowing this wall can erupt any moment would send shivers down any spine. Not to worry, we have a solution for this problem. Our PowerBrace system was installed to anchor this wall to provide stability and support. These steel I-beam are placed along different sections of the wall, stretching floor to ceiling in length, and are secured into place with steel brackets. The anchors have the ability overtime to straighten this wall back out to its normal position.