Foundation Repair Before & After Photos

Buckling walls are never a good thing. "Staircase" cracks are a general indicator of buckling, and if you see these in your foundation walls, you should give Ayers a call like this Grand Rapids family did. Our professional team decided to use our patented PowerBrace foundation wall repair system. Steel I-beams that are secured to the joists above the wall support buckling, bowing, and tilting walls. This support allows for a safe environment for this Grand Rapids residence, as it could yours.

Judy P. called because she was concerned about the multiple cracks in her basement walls that had been forming over time. Our team of experts visited her home and found two signs of wall failure in her block foundation walls. The first problem we found was horizontal cracking, which is one of the first signs of wall failure and is likely caused by pressure being exerted on the wall from the surrounding soil. The second problem area we found was stair-step cracking which is usually a sign that the problem is getting worse and needs attention.

In order to save Judy’s failing wall we decided to install the PowerBrace system, which supports your foundation wall. This system consists of steel beams that are fastened to the joists above the wall, which can easily be tightened to straighten the wall over time. The beams are coated with zinc, which is a non-toxic substance that will protect them from corroding. This brace system was a perfect fix for her failing foundation wall because it uses a “joist reinforcement method” that transfers the weight evenly across the basement ceiling and ensures the beams do not disturb the floor above.

Our customer is interested in purchasing a home and called us with a couple preexisting issues such as floor sagging, standing water, and rotting wood.  This crawl space was in desperate need of an overhaul.  Most of these issues were caused by high relative humidity; adding waterproofing and a vapor barrier will help to combat these issues.  Using a vapor barrier called CleanSpace, as well as our SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier and a Smart Sump Pump we are able to cut down a lot of excess humidity.  With the rotting wood holding up the floor of the house replaced with Smart Jack Assemblies, we were able to also fix the sagging floors as well. 

This Grand Rapids homeowner has linear cracks on the basement walls. When there is heavy rain, water enters through the cracks. He does have a perimeter drain and sump pump, but he can not finish his basement until the walls are fixed and water is not entering the area. We installed the PowerBrace Wall Repair System to stabilize the walls and possibly straighten the wall. The system is made up of steel I-beams that are secured to the joists above the wall. This system doesn't involve any exterior excavation and installs quickly with minimal disruption to your basement space.

Bryan's garage has become unlevel due to the rear corner settling. He wanted it corrected but was worried that having the garage lifted would negatively impact the roof of the home and garage. We used Helical Piers to keep the roof safe while leveling the garage corner. These piers stabilize the foundation and lift if back to the original level. They also have year-round installation that does not take too much time.