HomeSpec Waterproofing and Foundation Repair Before & After Photos

Most people don't know much about what goes on in their crawl space. It's a small, dark place that no one wants to venture into. But when awful smells start wafting up from the crawl space and into your home, it's quite alarming. These homeowners in Lexington, Michigan experienced just that.

Because they live near water, their crawl space was very wet and muddy. They had a makeshift "vapor barrier" in place which was actually just some tarps on the ground/walls that were only making the problem worse. With the water and humidity, mold began to grow. This created a foul stench that could be smelled throughout the entire home. Mold comes with many other health concerns, so the homeowners wanted the problem properly taken care of - so they called HomeSpec. 

Most importantly, the mold needed to be removed so we used our Mold-X2 to clean the contaminated surfaces. The crawl space had obvious water issues, but encapsulation alone would not be enough. The crawl space needed a waterproofing system as well - a perimeter drainage system connected to a powerful sump pump. This would control the ground water and funnel it away from the home, preventing a flood.

Then the walls and muddy ground needed to be sealed with a CleanSpace encapsulation system. The vapor barrier blocks water vapor from entering the crawl space and paired with a dehumidifier that controls the humidity in the air, also prevents mold growth and musty smells from occurring. This system includes vent covers to prevent cold air from entering in the winter (and drifting up into the home) and to prevent hot, humid air from entering in the summer (and bringing in moisture). 

These new homeowners had a big obstacle to overcome as soon as they bought their beautiful new home - the damaged foundation. The block basement walls were bowing inward and severely cracked, which was letting water in as well. The floors above were sagging due to the lack of support in the basement. It was a big project, but HomeSpec was ready to take it on!

Our professionals designed a custom solution for this basement. Our crew installed our PowerBrace and CarbonArmor Wall Stabilization Systems to repair the walls and potentially even straighten them over time. The cracks were then sealed to waterproof the block walls. Support posts were installed to raise the floors and prevent them from sagging again in the future. 

This Marlette, Michigan homeowner was very worried about the foundation wall in her basement. The wall was not only severely cracked and bowing inward, but also shearing at the bottom of the wall. 

When a wall is bowing (and shearing) it's because the wall is under stress and being pushed inward, usually by hydrostatic pressure or expansive soils. If left alone, the wall could collapse and have to be completely rebuilt. 

Fortunately, that didn't happen in this case. Foreman Ryan Loop and his crew were able to repair the wall with the PowerBrace™ Wall Repair System. This consists of steel I-beams that prevent further inward movement and can potentially straighten the wall since the braces can be tightened. 

The horizontal and stair-step cracks in the mortar were filled, and the shearing was also repaired. The homeowner can now rest easy knowing her foundation is no longer at risk, and she's very happy with the results! 

Buying a home is a stressful enough process in itself, but when you buy a home with structural issues - that's a whole different level of stress. These homeowners bought an old home in Clifford, Michigan, but there was a big problem - a foundation problem. 

The floors above the basement were sagging, which was caused by insufficient support below. There were wooden support posts and beams that were deteriorating and failing to support the weight of the home. They needed to be replaced, and more needed to be added to ensure they won't sag again over time. The experts at HomeSpec assured these homeowners that we could fix their problem permanently.

Our crew installed over a dozen new steel beams and support posts. The floors were raised back to their original position and the posts will prevent the floors from sagging in the future. This support is crucial to the structural integrity of the home - and now these homeowners don't have to worry, but instead can enjoy their new home! 

This old Sandusky home was built way back in 1890 with a fieldstone foundation - and it's new homeowners were very concerned over something they discovered in the basement!

A rotting tree stump was found to be acting as a support post, barely holding up a beam above. This is dangerous because the support in the basement is what holds the entire home up. The structural integrity of the home depends on these posts and beams. The homeowners called HomeSpec to take care of the problem. 

Our crew was able to install two new support posts with a new beam and repair some of the joists to solve the issue. Now the homeowners can enjoy their new home without worrying about the structural integrity!