Foundation Repair and Lifting in Waterford, MI
A homeowner in Waterford, MI was growing more frustrated with the condition of the garage detracting from their property value. More specifically, the garage had begun sinking in on one side and had cracks spreading along the poured concrete walls and floors. After letting the issue sit for some time, and worried that bigger cracks would form, they decided it was time to find a permanent solution and began searching for a qualified foundation repair contractor nearby. After talking with friends and family, they were referred to HomeSpec Basementfix, by a coworker who had previous basement waterproofing work done.Keith Brown, one of our Project Managers, was sent out into the field to get his eyes on the situation. When he arrived at the property, Keith began a proper inspection and found the damage to the walls and the sinking foundation was most likely due to settlement issues in the soil beneath the foundation of the garage. Over time, due to a variety of reasons such as oversaturation, drought, etc. soils can move, shift and settle beneath the surface, causing the foundation above to shift in order to fill the new voids. He explained how foundation-related problems can continue to evolve into more serious situations when not handled properly.In order to solve this foundation repair problem, our crew would first address the current cracks by filling them with a high pressure urethane crack injection. We would also install plates of carbon along the cracks through carved slits, in order to prevent the cracks from spreading. The best way to lift and rebalance this property was with the use of a Helical Piering System. Helical Piers owe their name to the helical plates along their shaft, which allow them to screw in and extend through soils to reach more stable foundations. The weight of the garage is then transferred from the old foundation to the new support system, which is attached via steel brackets to the home, and then finally to the new load-bearing soils. This would effectively help bring the garage back into proper balance, and address the core of the foundation’s problem.With their fear of a sinking garage put to rest, and their property value effectively restored, the homeowner would go on to review how appreciative they were with Keith’s professional behavior and open communication throughout the project.