Foundation Repair Photo Album: Stabilizing and Waterproofing a Berrien Springs, MI Basement

Our customer's sump pump had issues keeping up with the water in his basement and he suspected it was due to tree roots clogging the drainage system. There were also cracks in his block foundation walls that he was concerned by. We installed a perimeter of WaterGuard below-floor drain to assist in getting the water to the sump pump and secured the walls with Carbon Armor straps, which are stronger than steel.

Leaking Cracks in Basement Floor

The floor can be a major entry point for water in a basement, as hydrostatic pressure causes hairline cracks that allow water in. The staining around the cracks is a sign of water.

Water Damage Where Walls Meet the Floor

When staining is visible on an unfinished wall, you can bet the problem exists behind the wall finish on the neighboring wall. This is why it takes longer to discover water problems in finished basements.

Extent of Water Issues in Wet Basement

As you can see, the staining extends quite far up the walls. There are also signs of efflorescence, which occurs when water travels through block walls and dissolves minerals, bringing them to the surface.

Cracked Block Wall in Berrien Springs Basement

The cracks in this basement's walls are slightly more difficult to see because of the paint and placement of objects in the room, but one is visible just to the left of the window.

Leaking Wall Cracks in Basement

When cracks allow water in, the water will eventually degrade the wall further, widening the cracks and creating a vicious cycle.

Installing WaterGuard

We had to cut back a portion of the wall in order to jackhammer the concrete slab and install the WaterGuard system. We offer a variety of replacement wall options, but this customer chose to leave it covered with CleanSpace material (visible in a later photo) so he could replace the walls himself at a later date.

Carbon Armor Stabilizes Cracked Block Wall

Carbon armor straps are stronger than steel and a great choice to reinforce and stabilize a cracked wall that isn't yet bowing.

Closeup of Carbon Armor Installation

By anchoring the straps to the joist, we can ensure stability.

Carbon Armor Straps Reinforce Block Walls

As you can see from the profile shot, the Carbon Armor straps are unobtrusive and allow for a wall system to be installed over them (more on that in a few photos).

Front View of Carbon Armor

After applying an epoxy (that's the gray you see on the walls), we affix the Carbon Armor straps to the walls and anchor them to the joist for security.

Pouring New Concrete After WaterGuard Installation

After the WaterGuard installation is complete, we pour new concrete to restore the floor

Dried Concrete Almost Invisible

Once the concrete dries, only a slight line shows that anything has happened to the floor. There's almost no sign, except for the fact that the basement will be dry now.

Brightwall Panels Keep Basement Dry and Improve Appearance

We installed Brightwall panels on top of the Carbon Armor straps to give the basement a clean look. In addition to improving the appearance, Brightwall panels are waterproof and can be tied into the WaterGuard system to channel water directly to the sump pump.