Job Stories

After heavy rainfall in Ypsilanti, MI, a homeowner was shocked to find muddy water seeping into their crawl space. Having installed a “rat wall”, which is just a thin barrier of either steel or concrete around the foundation, a leaking crawl space should not be a worry for the homeowner. As this required some expert knowledge to find the leak, they contacted HomeSpec BasementFix for the crawl space repair. Project manager Chris was sent out for this crawl space repair due to his many years of related experience in encapsulation. While inspecting the property he noticed that there wasn't sufficient support in the crawl space and this could lead to further problems with the floors down the line. Like many crawl spaces, they were using stacks of old cinderblocks for support which deteriorated over time. As he explained his findings, Chris recommended a crawl space encapsulation to prevent further water damage to the crawl space, as well as a SmartJack Support System to replace the damaged supports he found in the crawl space.For this project, the best way to prevent further water damage would be to use our CleanSpace Encapsulation System. CleanSpace utilizes a vapor barrier that is made from a 20 millimeter reinforced polymer liner to prevent water from seeping into the crawl space and causing problems for the support systems. With a 25 year warranty on the liner, the crawl space is insured to keep the area dry, and moisture free. The next step would be to install our SmartJack Support System, with the ability to support upwards of 60,000 lbs., the SmartJack can withstand the weight of the floors easily. Made of galvanized steel, our support systems are rust resistant, pest resistant, and easily adjustable year-round to meet the needs of the home over time. With both of these systems in place, water damage to the crawl space is rarely going to cause concern for the homeowner. With the crawl space repair complete and the support system fully installed, the homeowners fears of a water-filled crawl space were put to rest. They were happy with the quick and efficient installation.

This Melvindale crawl space was very wet and musty. There was no sump pump installed, and no vapor barrier over the walls over exposed ground to keep out moisture, so the humidity levels were high. The homeowners could smell it from the rest of their home, so they called HomeSpec to make it better.  Our crew of experts installed a new sump pump and encapsulated the crawl space by completely sealing it off from the outside. A dehumidifier was also installed to maintain a healthy 55% relative humidity to prevent mold and rot.  These homeowners now have a dry, healthy, smell-free crawl space. 

These homeowners contacted us because their basement was damp and needed to be waterproofed. They were also having issues with the floor above their crawl space.  To solve these problems, HomeSpec installed an interior drainage system around the perimeter of the basement and encapsulated the crawl space to keep everything dry and clean. 

These homeowners dealt with a wet basement for a very long time. As soon as they moved into their home, they were finding water downstairs. The sump pump that was installed barely worked, and they desperately needed a new one - it couldn't be put off any longer. That's when they called HomeSpec. One of our project managers went out to the home to inspect the problem. He discovered that the sump pump was simply too old and unreliable to handle the high amounts of water. This basement needed something to properly drain the water away from the home to prevent flooding - so a TripleSafe sump pump was recommended. There's 3 pumps for 3 levels of protection - including one battery-operated pump in case there's a loss of power. For the first time since moving into their home years ago, these homeowners can finally rest assured that there's no water in their basement. 

50% of the air in a home comes up from the crawl space. So if there's high humidity in the crawl space, there's high humidity in the rest of the home. If there's cold air in the crawl space, there's cold air moving through the rest of the home. If there's mold in the crawl space, there's mold spores in the rest of the home. Whether you like it or not, you're breathing crawl space air. That's the problem this Manchester homeowner was facing when he decided to call HomeSpec.  This homeowner had all of the usual problems in his home: musty smells, aggravated allergies, humid summers, cold floors in the winter. Only, he didn't know his crawl space was to blame. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the crawl space was vented and allowing in air and water. The dirt floors allowed water vapor in. There was mold on the joists and the insulation was in poor condition as a result. So this homeowner decided to have HomeSpec encapsulate the crawl space with a CleanSpace vapor barrier. To encapsulate means to "enclose" something, which is what we do to the crawl space. It's completely sealed off from the outside so that nothing can pass through. A dehumidifier and sump pump control the water in the ground and the moisture in the air to keep it dry. 

This concerned homeowner in Manchester, Michigan reached out to HomeSpec because the floors above their basement were sagging. But the issue was that tree trunks were being used as support posts in the basement – which are not sturdy or reliable – which is what was causing the sagging.  HomeSpec has seen this issue before in older homes so it's not as rare as you think! To solve the problem, the tree trunks were removed and SmartJack Support Posts replaced them. The SmartJack posts are much more sturdy and reliable, and they were able to lift and level the floors above. They not only stabilized the structure, but they will also prevent future sagging!

This past customer discovered new rod holes and a horizontal crack that needed to be repaired.  Our crew repaired the crack and rod holes by injecting them with our powerful polyurethane sealant, a sealant that is flexible enough to move with your wall, but that will never dry out or crack. 

This homeowner had one crack and one rod hole in her basement that needed to be repaired. She got an estimate from another company and they wanted to install a full interior drainage system with a sump pump. HomeSpec ended up repairing the crack and the rod hole for her. Our crew injected them with our flexible polyurethane sealant that will never dry out or crack. 

This homeowner contacted HomeSpec because her basement wall was buckling inward and had water seeping in. It also had several horizontal cracks as a result of the buckling.  Our crew installed an interior drainage system to address the water issues, and installed beams to stabilize the walls and prevent more movement after sealing up the cracks. 

This homeowner contacted HomeSpec because a beam in the middle of his crawl space was low and needed to be replaced. Our crew inserted a crawl space support post to stabilize the floor above and prevent any sagging.