Your Trusted Iosco County, MI Wet Basement & Structural Repair Company

Judy called us out to her Hale, MI cottage last year because she was interested in new flooring. The cottage was a vacation spot for her family perfect for relaxing in the summer, but when winter came, the basement floor was unbearable. Any temperature dip below freezing would turn the concrete slab cold to the touch and even cause a bit of cracking. Judy had been weighing her options and was considering wood panels when she called us out. Our system design specialist pointed out that wood may not be the best option in a basement that had minor moisture issues because the floor would certainly be one of the first places to rot if a flood were to occur. After hearing a little more about our products she decided to try out the vinyl canyon beige tiles in the living area.

A year passed and Judy and her family were loving the new tiles. Not only were they keeping the colder temperatures at bay, but the inorganic material had also stood up to moisture without rotting or growing mold. Judy decided to take the flooring one step further and asked Ayers to return to Hale and install the same flooring tiles in the utility rooms and bathroom. The crew was more than happy to help. One installation day later the job was complete and just in time for Judy and her family to begin getting the cottage ready for their summer trips.

We always enjoy hearing back from satisfied customers, and we hope that Judy and the family enjoy these tiles just as much as before.

Jeff’s deck in Hale, MI was dealing with some structural issues. His home is located on a hill above a lake, and the deck had been secured to the hill with support beams. Unfortunately, those beams had been damaged by the elements and lake. The constant freezing of the lake and ground had moved the support beams and caused a slant in the deck. To keep his deck out of the Lake below, Jeff gave us a call.

For leveling out slanting foundations, our crews use piering systems. The piers work by shifting the support of the structure to more stable soil. The first step was excavating the top soil where Jeff’s support beams were and then placing 2 helical piers into deeper, stable soil. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be enough to just add in piers. The original wooden support beams had taken quite the beating over the years and needed to be replaced. Once new posts were installed, the crew connected them to a support beam that ran across the sagging front of the deck and boosted it back to a leveled position. Jeff won’t have to worry about his deck or its support again.

Dennis’ home was built into a hill in Whittemore, MI. While there wasn’t a basement in the home, the first floor of the house was having issues with groundwater. Specifically, the mechanical room towards the back of the home had water leaking in at the floor and wall joint. The leaks would be at their worse during the spring after the snow melted. Dennis had done all he could to stop the moisture issue, including constantly running his dehumidifier, so he tried calling the professionals.

When our system design specialist arrived, he determined that the entire floor had a monolithic slab of concrete. The crew’s solution was a perimeter drainage system that collected the water as it leaked into the floor and wall joint. Usually, the system would be installed into an excavated portion of the foundation floor, but because of the monolithic floor, excavating the slab would result in a lot of dust and jackhammering. However, the DryTrak system can be installed above ground and against the wall to catch any water that runs down. The crew also installed a new floor drain in the center of the room, to catch any water that ran through cracks in other spots of the floor. Since both systems were connected, all the water in Dennis' basement could be collected and diverted out of the basement. He won't have to worry about leaks or floods again, and he can finally turn off that dehumidifier. 

Judy S. called because she wanted to get basement flooring installed in her Cottage. She needed flooring that would withstand 32 degree or below winters on a slab and moisture was also a concern. It was also important to her that she found flooring that would not crack over time.

The ThermalDry flooring was the perfect solution for this homeowner because it addressed of her needs and concerns. This flooring is made of inorganic, plastic materials that are mold, vapor and waterproof. The pegs on the underside of the tiles raise the flooring up and away from the cold and damp slab, which are two issues the homeowner was worried about. The flooring is made up of individual tiles that were connected to one another to create suitable flooring for this home. An added benefit this flooring provides the homeowner with is that they are easily removable and replaced if they are damaged at any time. Judy went with the Canyon Beige Tile, which immediately gave her the protection and look she wanted for her cottage basement. 

Penny H. called because her basement had buckling walls that were allowing water to seep into the home. She wanted to put the house on the market, but they wanted to fix the failing walls before doing so.

In order to stabilize the wall and prevent it from shifting any further, we installed the PowerBrace system. PowerBraces use specialized steel I-Beams that are attached at the base of the wall and to the joists at the top of the wall with steel brackets to hold them in place. We cut the beams to fit the height of the basement wall, secured them in place and tightened the system to immediately provide stabilization for this homeowner’s wall. One perk of using this system is that they can continue to be tightened over time to potentially shift the wall completely back to its original position.  

Dan G. of Oscoda, MI was having difficulties with the amount of moisture in his basement --a.k.a. his man cave. Of course, he needed a solution. So, he called us. 

Our solution? The SaniDry XP standing dehumidifier. The SaniDry XP can collect up to 109 liters of water per day even with its ENERGY STAR rating. It's filter is so fine that it can remove particles as small as 2 microns, which means your basement is going to get as dry as possible. 

Say hello to a dry man cave (even though there might be a wet bar).

This customer needed our help because every time there was a heavy rain the basement of their lake house became flooded. Flooding is a nightmare that no homeowner wants to deal with. It can ruin belongings & cause mold,  we all know mold isn't good for our health and it leaves a musty smell. 

To fix the flooding in the basement our team of experts decided the best solution would be to install our WaterGuard system. WaterGuard is a perimeter drain system that works to direct the water out of your basement and to the sump pump so it can be pumped out of your home. WaterGuard lies above the footing rather than alongside it so no debris or other rubbish can get in the system and cause it to fail. The system works well and you won't regret your decision to install WaterGuard.

Pam K. was dealing with a sagging kitchen floor in her Hale, MI home. She became worried that the wet and nasty crawl space below her home was to blame. Our new friend reached out to us for help. Upon assessing Pam’s crawl space, we found that she could greatly benefit from the installation of the CleanSpace encapsulation system. The CleanSpace encapsulation product is a 20mm thick plastic liner that completely and entirely seals off the crawl space from the grim elements it faces below. The area below her kitchen was lacking the support it so desperately needed. Our team recommended the installation of two Smart Jacks to stabilize the weak area. The Smart Jack is a supplemental support system for crawl space applications. The Smart Jack effectively supports sagging beams and floor joists caused by weakening over time due to high moisture and rot. If you are struggling with crawl space issues like our friend Pam, let us create a personalized solution for you.

Even do-it-yourselfers sometimes have to call the experts when circumstances become complex and go beyond their capabilities. This was the case for Jack W., from Hale MI. He began experiencing foundation issues when a horizontal crack formed in the upper portion of one of his basement walls. Jack knew this was not something he could simply get out his tool box and fix.

We routed our trucks to Jack’s home and devised a customized solution consisting of three PowerBraces. Our PowerBrace system encompasses adjustable steel I-beams that secure to the joists above the foundation wall, offering revolutionary support. The PowerBrace improves the condition of bowing and cracked walls by reversing the forces of nature and allowing them to move back to their original position. Jack was happy that he chose not to mess around and called his local foundation experts right away. Since our visit to his home, the condition of his wall has and will continue to improve.

Wall Anchors relieve pressure and straighten homes.

When you hold out your hand to yell stop, you "push away" the force that is coming at you. This is what our wall anchor system does too. We insert steel rods, kind of like your arm, through the soil and connect a Geo Lock to them. The Geo lock is your hand and it is using its forces to push against the soil. The hand sticking out (the rod and Geo Lock) are then, connected to the body which is the house with the Wall Anchor. The Wall Anchor ensures that your house stays upright and tightens over time. 

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The pictures attached show the process of this. 

At Ayers no job is too big and in this case, no job is too small either. When Gail gave us a call concerning the smell rising from her 3-feet tall crawl space, our team of specialists were able to tackle the task in a matter of hours. 

Gail's home was built in the early 1950's and as time went on, the wood flooring began to rot and mold, leaving behind an awful stench that traveled throughout the entirety of her house. Our team's goal was to clean out the area, get rid of the moisture and provide a permanent solution to the musty aroma in the area. 

We were able to combat the problem by installing CleanSpace liners in combination with the SaniDry Humidifier. The CleanSpace liner is a thick, durable white liner that resembles that of a pool liner. It traps any moisture in the air from penetrating the ground ultimately keeping it dry and mold-free. Pests and other bacteria are also blocked from entering through the liner. 

We also installed the SaniDry Humidifier, a high powered system that keeps the crawl space dry by sucking any remaining moisture out of the air. 

The customer needed help fixing their damp crawl space which had no sump pump and serious moisture issues. The owner had health problems and opted to encapsulate the crawlspace with CleanSpace vapor barrier to sell the home. To ensure that potential buyers would have peace of mind, the owner opted to install our Sedona dehumidifier to ensure the crawl space stayed dry. 

Cynthia had cracks in her walls upstairs and although there was no sign of any wall cracking in the crawl space, there was cracking in the beams for the main floor. This is startling to see the parts of your home that hold it together and protect you from the outside, potentially failing. There was no sign of moisture so she couldn't figure out what was going on. Our team saw that Cynthia had a dirt floor which, even when you don’t physically see moisture, can contribute greatly to humidity and moisture in the house causing the foundation to start to sag. 

Our team installed SmartJacks. SmartJacks support sagging floor joists and beams.  Floors above basements and crawl spaces are vulnerable due to the damp nature of the lowest floor. The SmartJack system is a permanent fix to these issues. It uses steel columns, threaded rods, and a solid base to address any problems your basement may have. Installing this system usually takes less than a day and it provides immediate stabilization. Cynthia no longer has to worry and wonder about why her walls are cracking. She will have a stable home for years to come. 

Edith had some water in her basement in the past that we helped to fix. When we were there we found that her foundation was severely cracked and some walls were starting to bow. We used GeoLock Wall Anchors to stabilize the wall to keep her home safe. GeoLock Anchors are made of steel and are suspended in stable soil beyond your home to brace the foundation wall. These get installed with minimal disruption to the lawn and do not take up usable basement space. 

Katherine and Anthony live in their dream home, but wanted to make sure it was safe and dry for the rest of their lives. They called Ayers, and after an inspection, we noticed puddles in the basement and crawlspace, no sump pump, and the temperature could not be easily regulated. Our crew determined that the couple would need the TripleSafe sump pump, the SaniDry Sedona Humidifier, and CleanSpace Wall System. 

The TripleSafe sump pump utilizes three pumps in order to remove excess water from your basement. The second and third pumps are in case of emergencies, so your basement can remain dry, even when the power goes out. The SaniDry Sedona Humidifier actually removed up to 100 pints of water a day from the air in your basement. This system circulates the now dry air through your basement and automatically removes the leftover water, so you don't have to. Finally, the CleanSpace Wall System uses a thick plastic liner along the walls to keep them dry and last decades longer. It also has antibacterial properties that prevent mold and bacteria growth. Katherine and Anthony can live in their dream house knowing they are safe and protected. 

Erika and Josh were having issues with their block foundation cracking. They gave Ayers a call to have our professionals come out and take a look. The solution our crew came up with was to install PowerBrace for their basement walls.

PowerBrace is a foundation repair system that evenly distributes the weight of the house to keep it properly supported. This will prevent their foundation walls from cracking and can even be tightened in the future to secure the walls in place while straightening them as well. 

Erika and Josh are now assured the safety of their home's foundation support!

Jerry desperately needed crawl space encapsulation to protect against moisture development. Moisture builds in this area from the damp soil, so our crew at Ayers installed CleanSpace as a solution. This is a heavy-duty plastic liner made of an antimicrobial material that prevents excess moisture that leads to bacteria or mold. We installed this solution along the crawl space floor and walls, providing optimal protection from the damp ground below!

Mark moved into his home and realized the old sump pump wasn't functional. He could tell the issue needed to be fixed soon by the leaking water at his feet, so he called Ayers for help. We sent our specialists to his house to evaluate the situation, and they recommended installing the TripleSafe sump pump system. TripleSafe provides peace of mind with a three-in-one system engineered to prevent pump failure. The first pump is the primary, followed by a backup and even a battery-powered pump in case of power outages. Mark is relieved to have a new system!

A homeowner was frustrated with water entering their basement and crawl space after heavy rains. After unsuccessfully trying temporary fixes, they sought our help to address the issue permanently. We installed a reliable waterproofing system, including a TripleSafe sump pump with a backup pump and an interior WaterGuard drainage system. Additional measures, such as exterior drainage solutions, were added to provide full protection. Now, the homeowner can enjoy a safe, dry basement and crawl space, even during the heaviest storms.