Foundation Repair Photo Album: Stabilizing and Straightening a Basement in Grand Rapids, MI

Our customer called when a support beam in his house settled onto a crumbling brick wall in the basement. The settling had caused the entire house to go off-kilter, with windows sticking and wall cracks forming in the basement to allow water inside. We used SmartJacks and galvanized steel beams to stabilize and support the house, and put everything back in alignment.

Rotting, Unsafe Support Beams

These beams are all but useless in the face of mold and water damage. As the weight of the house settles, they'll be even more compromised and will eventually fail.

Unstable Support Wall in Basement

When the beam settled, it settled on this wall that's literally falling apart. This is both unsustainable and dangerous.

Settling Support Beams in Basement

As the weight of the house settled, the various support beams started shifting as well. This led to windows and doors sticking and a noticeable sink and slant in the floors upstairs.

Steel Beams Secured in Floor

We cemented the steel beams into the floor to ensure that they are secure.

New Concrete Footing Secures SmartJacks

We replaced the crumbling portion of the wall with a new concrete pour. This not only secures the wall, but also gives us something to anchor the SmartJacks in and ensure their stability.

Steel Beams Reinforce Support Joists

We attached extra reinforcement to the existing joists, then anchored the beams into the reinforcement so the ceiling (aka the floor of your home) is stable and secure.