Photo Album: Waterproofing and Stabilizing a Lansing,MI Basement

Our customer called for help with his basement, which some tree roots had wreaked havoc on. Although he was having the tree removed, the roots had already caused one of his basement walls to start bowing and cracking and he was concerned about stabilization. He also had worsening water problems in the basement that needed to be handled. We used WaterGuard below-floor drain around the perimeter of the basement to route any incoming water to a new Super Sump pump, and installed PowerBraces on the bowing wall to prevent further bowing.

Bowing Wall in Lansing Basement

Note how far a section of the wall on the left side of this photo is leaning. Bowing walls are dangerous and can collapse, leaving your home in danger.

Wall Cracks in Bowing Wall

Both horizontal and stair step cracks are visible in this section of the bowing wall, which began to bow when tree roots in the ground outside expanded and placed pressure on the wall.

DIT Crack Fix Doesn't Last

People try many things when their foundation walls develop cracks, from foam crack filler like what's shown here, to bracing 2x4s against the wall. None of these are permanent fixes or true solutions.

Side Angle of Bowing Wall

The lean of the wall is more noticeable from this angle. Walls can only bow or lean so far before they're in danger of collapse.

Severe Water Damage in Basement Corner

The water is so bad in this part of the basement that it's completely worn off large sections of the paint. Peeling and bubbling paint is actually an early sign of water coming through walls.

Ineffective Floor Drain

This small floor drain (there are a few of them throughout the basement) is just not enough to keep up with the amount of water in the basement.

Severe Water Damage Under Stairs

In addition to the water damage on the floor underneath the stairs, the steps themselves show signs of water damage. Wood rot is a real concern in cases like this.

High Water Influx in Doorway

Doorways are often a point of water accumulation.

Water Staining Throughout Basement

There's evidence of water coming through the walls and floor throughout the basement.

Installing the Sump Pump

The sump pump is tied into the WaterGuard system and attached to a discharge line to send the water directly outside.

PowerBraces Stabilize Bowing Wall

The PowerBraces are cemented into the ground and bracketed to the joists to provide security to the wall. Over time, they can be tightened to hopefully even straighten the wall.