Foundation Repair Before & After Photos

Stair step cracks in basements are a common sign that the foundation walls are bowing. Seeing two sets, like in this before photo, means that the foundation is really struggling. When bowing is this severe, the basement needs a proven system. The PowerBrace Wall Repair System is perfect for fighting the inward pressure that causes bowing. The beams in the after photo make up the system. They span from the floor joists in the ceiling to the foundation floor and put a halt to wall movement and any further damage. At the top of the beams, there are special tightening bolt attachments that can actually force the walls back toward their original position. With the strength of 16 PowerBrace beams behind the walls, this basement will remain protected and stable for years to come. 

While the stair-step like crack in the wall in the first photo may seem to be just an eyesore, it’s really an indicator of a large foundation issue. Over time, as soil settles around the foundation, the walls may experience pressure from this, causing the foundation walls to bow. If this occurs more severely in the middle of the wall, the adjacent corner walls will also be effected by the pressure, causing the stair-step cracking effect seen in the walls of this Oscoda, MI home. To stabilize and straighten the walls, our team installed 16 PowerBraces throughout the basement. This steel beam system is resistant to corrosion and can be tightened over time to continually improve the condition of the walls, preventing any further cracking.

This customer contacted us because they had a couple walls in their basement that were bowing. We all know bowing walls probably aren't a good sign and we wanted to get this taken care of as soon as possible. We offer many different solutions for foundation walls depending on the area outside your home, the results you are expecting, and how bad the wall is. 

For this home we were able to install our PowerBrace system on one of the walls. PowerBraces are a great option because they allow the wall to be straightened over time as the system can be tightened as the wall moves back to it's desired position. This system has a very noninvasive isntall and will not disturb the lawn or anything outside the home. These also usually take less than a day to install, so it's a great option and gets the job done.

Dave watched the cracks in his basement walls grow and deepen over the years and had reached his breaking point. He researched his foundation wall repair options and called Ayers to learn more. We sent our specialists to his home to evaluate and recommend a solution. They suggested GeoLock wall anchors designed to stabilize cracking walls. A ground anchor is placed away from the home in solid, undisturbed soil, and the two anchors are connected by a steel rod to secure the wall in place. Dave is glad he called Ayers to get the job done!

These Tustin, MI customers noticed several different cracks running along on their basement walls, like the large horizontal one in the before picture. After examining it closer, they came to the conclusion that the wall was actually caving in. Our system design specialist went out for a visit and came to the same conclusion. The inward movement of walls like this is called bowing. It’s caused by expanding soil putting added pressure on the foundation and can mean disaster for the structure of homes.

The after photo shows our solution to the problem, the PowerBrace System. PowerBrace beams halt the inward motion by transferring the support of the above floor joists above from the foundation walls to the beams. The beams span the height of the wall, so the wall can no longer bend inwards. As you can see, the beams are placed into portions of excavated foundation floor and attached to the floor joists above with a special tightening bolt for stabilization (Note: before the job was completed, concrete was poured back into the excavated parts of the floor). Not only will this wall stop bowing inwards, given enough time, it may even return to its original position.