Job Stories

A homeowner in Adrian, MI was planning on finishing their basement in order to convert it into a room for the family to spend time in. While clearing out the space for renovations, they noticed some of the walls cracking and the doors had trouble opening and closing, common signs of foundation settlement. Understanding they needed to address the root of the problem to restore property value, the homeowner took action and searched for the best foundation repair companies nearby. The search led them to contact HomeSpec BasementFix as the repair contractor of choice.Erik, who specialized in foundation-related repairs, was sent to the home to discuss concerns with the homeowner and provide a free inspection. After consulting with the homeowner, Erik explained that over time, soils beneath the foundation can shift; this can occur when the soil dug up for the construction of the foundation is too dry, so it shrinks, or the soil becomes wet with excess moisture, causing it to wash out or become heavier. The foundation settles into this void, causing the walls in the basement to crack and the doors to become unlevel. If left unaddressed, the structural integrity of the foundation can ultimately fail and pose a serious danger to the house. This is why Erik proposed a custom solution for this homeowner that involved installing our Helical Support System to bring structural integrity back into the foundation and raise it back to level.The Helical Support System gets its name from the helical plates that are welded to the shaft of the pier; these galvanized steel plates are then screwed into the ground and attached with brackets to the foundation. To prevent further shifting, the piers are advanced to more competent load bearing soils that allow the weight of the foundation to be transferred, through the piers to newer soils, or even bedrock. This ideal solution addresses the root cause of foundation settlement by providing stability and integrity to prevent further damage to the home caused by a sinking foundation. Helical Piers are designed to reestablish the foundations strength while providing quality of life improvements and restoring the property value.With their foundation successfully stabilized and the homeowners fears put to rest, they could begin remodeling their basement without the fear of foundation settlement affecting their property value. 

As the Vice President of the Lenawee Historical Museum, it was their responsibility to oversee the inspection and waterproofing project in the museum's historic Carnegie Library building located in Adrian, MI. With a keen focus on preserving the rich heritage of the museum and ensuring its structural integrity, They worked diligently to address the challenges posed by a possible brick or stone foundation and the need for waterproofing and drainage installation. Built in 1909, the Carnegie Library building had stood as a symbol of knowledge and community for over a century. However, the passage of time had taken its toll, and the museum now faced issues related to water intrusion and damage to both the below-grade and above-grade exterior walls. The Vice President knew that addressing these concerns was crucial not only for the preservation of the museum's collections but also to maintain a safe and inviting environment for visitors. To tackle the water intrusion problem, they embarked on a comprehensive inspection process. Working closely with our team of expert contractors, engineers, and architects, they explored various solutions to identify and eliminate the sources of water. When our Project Manager, who had experience in waterproofing, arrived, he began the multi point inspection of the affected area and kept the Vice President in the loop the entire time. The inspection revealed the need for waterproofing and sealing of the below-grade exterior walls and the installation of drainage tiles where necessary. Additionally, above-grade areas with water intrusion issues required immediate waterproofing measures in order to stop the damage from progressing any further. After thorough research and consultation, our Project Manager decided to employ the CleanSpace Wall System, an effective long-term solution for waterproofing and moisture control. Furthermore, the Vice President recognized that once the sources of water were eliminated and the waterproofing measures were in place, it would be necessary to restore the areas affected by long-term water damage. Understanding the financial constraints of the museum, They sought cost estimates to enable the application for grants. By presenting accurate and detailed information on the project's scope, including the use of the CleanSpace Wall System and exterior waterproofing, the Vice President aimed to secure the necessary funding to undertake the repairs and restoration of the interior surfaces. The Lenawee Historical Museum played a vital role in preserving and sharing the rich history around Adrian. The Vice President's dedication to ensuring the structural integrity of the museum's historic building and the preservation of its collections drove them to take on this challenging project. With the successful implementation of the CleanSpace Wall System and the associated waterproofing measures, they had achieved their goal of keeping the museum a pillar in the community's history.

A wet basement is a problem for everyone living in a home. This family in Jasper, Mi would continually find water leaking in where their floors and walls met, pooling and causing water damage throughout the space with notably undesirable stains, too.   In order to properly waterproof the basement, our crew would install the WaterGuard basement drainage system, engineered to fit along the perimeter of a basement while sitting atop the foundation footing to ensure it wouldn't clog like other drainage systems. A fresh install that would lead to a new drainage system sporting the UltraSump basement sump pump; this particular pump has a battery backup system in case of a power outage.   This basement waterproofing combination will provide the homeowner with a reliable solution for the foreseeable future, granting a much-needed sense of peace of mind.  

A family in Jasper, Mi, had standing water in their crawl space for so long that it began promoting vegetation and negative health consequences. Having worked in home improvement for a number of years, they knew the importance of getting their crawl space encapsulated, and so they reached out to an experienced crawl space encapsulation contractor.   After pumping the water out of the crawl space in question, our crew removed any remaining debris before setting to work using our CleanSpace crawl space encapsulation system; a 20 mil-thick-liner manufactured in 7 layers consisting of a mix of both low- and high-density polyethylene blends for both durability and flexibility. With its antimicrobial additive woven into the material, it ensures there is no new mold growth and fewer pests.   With proper basement encapsulation, the homeowner noticed fewer allergic reactions and a generally more comfortable living situation in their main home.

From their gutters, water was draining far too close to this Jasper, Mi., homeowner's basement window. This in turn, was creating a clear problem when they noticed water damage stains from the water leaking in through the previous cracks.   Our crew would solve this by using a downspout extension, ensuring the water would lead out further away from the house. This solution set also buries the new drainage pipe effectively underground as it drains into a new basin, unseen, clean, and effective. We also used a High-Pressure Urethane Crack Injection to permanently seal up the previous cracks inside their basement that were allowing water to leak in.   Sometimes simple solutions are the best ones, an honest truth that the homeowner was happy to discover firsthand.  

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!

These homeowners contacted HomeSpec about waterproofing their basement and crawl space.  Our crew installed an interior drainage system in the basement to prevent any water issues, and also encapsulated the crawl space to keep it dry and clean.