Repairing a Century-old Foundation and Reinforcing the Floors in Lowell, MI

Challenge

Annette and Mark were alarmed when the foundation under their century-old farmhouse began to shift. They noticed a crack in the basement wall, and it gradually started leaning outward at the top. In addition, the kitchen floor was “spongy” and sloping. Their home had been in the family for more than 70 years, so Mark and Annette wanted a contractor they could rely on to listen to them and protect their legacy for the next generation.

Solution

The experts at Ayers had seen issues like these many times before, and they reassured the homeowners the foundation could be fixed.

Our design specialist started by conducting a thorough inspection of the inside and outside of the home. One thing they found was that the kitchen floor needed extra support. In addition, the foundation was settling. This commonly happens as the soil goes through cycles of wet and dryness over a long period of time.

The project started by installing push piers to stop the settling and permanently stabilize the structure. The piers were installed from the interior of the basement, so there was minimal damage to the landscaping outside, and they were pushed down into the load-bearing soil. Push piers were ideal for the situation because they also have the ability to lift a structure back toward its original position. 

Next, the crew moved to the home’s sagging kitchen floor. They installed a new supplemental beam to stabilize the floor joists and then lifted and leveled the floor with our exclusive SmartJack system.

The project was completed in four days, the homeowners are no longer constantly worried, and Annette can finally sleep at night.