Trusted Basement Waterproofing & Crawl Space Repair in Benton Harbor, MI

In a private community in Benton Harbor, MI, cracked and uneven concrete walkways posed a serious safety hazard, creating multiple tripping risks in commonly used paths. Concerned for the community's safety and seeking a long-term solution, the residents contacted Ayers for help.

System Design Specialist Zac developed a comprehensive repair plan, and Foreman Gabe P. led the installation. The team began with PolyLevel® concrete leveling, a high-strength foam injection that perfectly lifts and levels sunken slabs. Once the slabs were leveled, the crew applied NexusPro® crack sealant, a flexible, UV-resistant solution that fills and seals cracks to prevent water infiltration and future damage.

The result? Smooth, even safe paths for residents to enjoy and protect against wear and tear for years.

Peter found water in his basement but was unable to find a source. He contacted Ayers and had our resident foreman Bruce inspect the area. 

Bruce sealed the area with a CleanSpace lining, fitted the pipes with an IceGuard modification, and treated the air with a dehumidifier.

This home in Benton Harbor was listed for sale by its current owners. A buyer came to buy the house but the wet basement was a big issue. After having inspectors and our team of professionals come in we were able to set up a time to fix the basement. There were literally puddles of water. 

We installed our CleanSpace system with drainage matting. This encapsulates the basement so no more water can get in from the floor or walls. We also installed a sump pump to pump the water outside and away from the home. 

This story goes to show that you're going to have to pay to fix your wet basement eventually. When you put your home for sale inspectors will see mold, standing water and other signs of moisture and it will have to be taken care of before the house sells. 

This homeowner called us because he wanted to figure out a way to level his cracked and settled porch.

We installed the PolyLevel system to lift and level the settled cement. We first drilled multiple small holes in the concrete that were then injected with a specialized polymer material. The polymers expanded to lift the settled slab and had a quick cure time of about 15 minutes. The polymer material was also made to match most colors of cement, which ensured the look of the home was not compromised.

Jill and Larry C. called because they had several cracks in their concrete front porch and crawl space beneath, which was due to unstable foundation. They wanted effective solution that would permanently fix the issue.

We installed helical piers to stabilize the shifting foundation. We started by excavating the soil outside of the home in order to attach the piers to the base of the house. Once securely attached, we drilled the piers deep into the ground until they reached stable soil. The piers immediately anchored the unstable foundation by transferring the weight of the foundation through the pier and into the soil, which held it place and prevented it form shifting any further.

The foundation wall in this Benton Harbor home had a bowing foundation wall with a large horizontal crack across the middle of it. The homeowners wanted the issue fixed before the wall worsened and our team of experts knew the perfect solution to their problem.

We installed the PowerBrace system that used steel beams to stabilize the bowing wall. This system uses a joist reinforcement method that transfers the weight of the wall evenly across the basement ceiling, which ensures the steel beams do not affect the floor above. The braces were installed at the base of the wall and secured to the joists above with steel brackets. The steel beams were coated with non-toxic zinc to prevent corrosion and they can be tightened over time with a tightening kit that is used to pull the wall back to its original position.

James and Pauline C. called because they were planning to sell their home someday and knew their bowing basement wall had to be fixed before doing so.

Our team of experts installed the PowerBrace system to stabilize the failing wall. This system uses steel I-Beams to hold the wall and prevent it from shifting any further. The beams can also be tightened over time to potentially shift the wall back to its original position. This system worked by installing steel columns that were attached to the floor at the base of the wall and to the joists above the wall. The system was secured with steel brackets and then tightened into place to provide the homeowners with immediate stabilization of their basement wall. An added bonus to these braces is that the columns are coated with zinc to prevent corrosion over time, to ensure full satisfaction.

Larry and Tierra F. needed an effective solution for their wet basement. They had just purchased their home and found that the carpet in the basement was wet and the baseboards were wet as well. The home had poured concrete foundation and the basement was finished so they wanted to get the problem fixed before water created further issues in their new home. 

Water coming in through the walls needed to be collected and drained into the sump pump, which is why we installed the WaterGuard system. The perimeter of the flooring closest to the walls was removed in order to place pipes that water would enter into and then empty into the sump pump. After placing the pipes, we filled the remaining space in the trench with crushed stone and then covered the system with cement to restore the flooring. Part of the system was left uncovered so that water was able to enter through the wall and then filter into the pipes. An inspection port was also included in this system, which allows the homeowner and us to have access to the space if needed in the future. 

Next a SuperSump sump pump was installed to collect water from the WaterGuard system to then discard it from the home. For this home with occasional water issues, the SuperSump system was the ideal economical solution. This system has a powerful Zoeller pump that can pump up to 2,220 gallons of water per hour. First, a sturdy liner was placed in the crock that can collect water from ground and from the WaterGuard system. The Zoeller pump was then placed in the liner and an airtight lid was secured over the system to prevent water in the sump from evaporating into the basement, which would create further moisture issues. A floor drain and pump alarm were included in the lid to allow water to immediately enter the sump if a flood occurs and the alarm gives the homeowners immediate knowledge if the pump cannot keep up.

Next the IceGuard system was installed on the home’s discharge lines. This system has large openings that help water exit the lines immediately, even if the pipes are frozen. This is a great option for these homeowners because it prevents water from being unable to exit and then re-entering the home, causing a flood or large leak. 

A LawnScape outlet was installed underneath the ground to take water from the discharge lines out away from the home, to prevent it from flowing back toward the property. 

Jill and Larry found a crack on the concrete slab of their porch. When our system design specialist took a trip to Benton Harbor to have a look at the problem for himself, he found that the ground where the porch rested had started to settle. The weight of the crawl space, porch, and the overhanging roof had become too much for the soil to bear. As time passed, that soil was pushed down and the corner of the house went with it. The second floor had even started to slope towards that corner. Our crew gave Jill and Larry a visit with the piering system. 

To fix the problem, the crew installed 7 different helical piers around the corner of the crawl space and concrete slab. The piers were driven deep down into excavated soil and act like large screws that transfer the weight of Jill and Larry's above structure to more dependable soil. Once the piers were in the ground, the concrete slab was attached to the piers to level out the porch and every other part of the foundation above it. 

Kenneth was living in Texas, but he had a second property in Benton Harbor, MI. While he wouldn’t be back to the property for another month, he knew that some work needed to be done in the basement. Mostly, he needed a solution for his basement floor that had been soaking wet during the spring. Kenneth wanted the home to be comfortable when he returned, so he set up an installation with us at the start of August.

Our crew found that the leaking water was coming through multiple cracks on the basement floor. Water that leaks through floors has a habit of puddling around the perimeter of the basement because it’s usually the lowest point in the room. To help catch that water, the crew installed the WaterGuard Perimeter Drainage System. WaterGuard sits below the foundation footing where wall and floor meet. The water that naturally flows to the area will enter the system and be directed to Kenneth’s new TripleSafe sump pump. The TripleSafe sump pump is perfect for homeowners like Kenneth, who can’t constantly monitor the system. TripleSafe sumps continue to operate during power outages and have two backup pumps that will kick in if the water load is ever too much for the original to handle. It won't matter if Kenneth is in Texas or Michigan, either way, his home will be protected.