Job Stories

This New Haven homeowner wanted to finish his basement, but he had water seeping in at several spots. He put waterproofing material on the wall (shown in photo), but it didn't work and water continued to penetrate. Many customers contact us after not being able to fix problems themselves with DIY hacks. The homeowner called HomeSpec to professionally waterproof the basement so he could finally renovate.  Our crew installed an interior drainage system with a sump pump. This system will collect the water, funnel it into the sump pump, which will them expel the water away from the home through a discharge line. We also installed our ThermalDry wall system which creates a radiant heat barrier to keep heat inside your basement, but also works with the waterproofing system to keep the basement dry. It does this by acting as a vapor barrier and directing water down to the drainage system. 

This homeowner owned his home for 30 years, but was considering selling it in the future. There was only one problem - the basement would leak. The basement floor had several cracks that would leak or be damp, especially in the spring. He also lived in an area with a high water table, so he definitely needed a waterproofing system. This is common in cities near large lakes. Without one, the water problems would only get worse and it would negatively impact the value of his home.  So HomeSpec installed a full basement waterproofing system. The cracks were sealed, and an interior drainage system was installed around the perimeter of the foundation. A TripleSafe sump pump was installed for triple the protection - to funnel water away from the foundation and prevent flooding. The homeowner also wanted a vapor barrier installed on the walls to stop moisture and water vapor from entering the basement. This moisture is then collected by the drainage system and filtered into the sump pump.  The New Haven homeowner is so glad his basement is now protected, and the value of his home restored. 

Should I ventilate my crawl space? Is it okay that my crawl space is damp? Why does my home smell musty? How do I waterproof my crawl space? Is it worth it? These are the questions our customers often ask before coming to us, including this New Haven homeowner. Their crawl space was damp and the musty smell was spreading through out the home. They had open vents that were allowing in moisture and humidity, as well as a dirt floor that was allowing ground water and water vapor in.   Our crawl space specialist answered all of the homeowner's questions and inspected the crawl space. We informed them that crawl spaces should be sealed and not vented, and if there's a dirt floor, a vapor barrier is needed to keep out moisture. That's why we encapsulated the crawl space with the CleanSpace system to solve this homeowner's problems. We installed the vapor barrier, a sump pump, and a dehumidifier to create a dry, clean crawl space.  Is it worth it though? YES! A dry home with clean air and no mold, mildew, or rot compromising the safety of the home is 100% worth it. It adds value to the home, and gives the homeowner peace of mind. 

A customer contacted us because she was interested in possibly waterproofing her basement. Our team repaired cracks and rod holes to prevent water from entering the home. 

A new family had just moved into a 12-year-old home in Oakland, Michigan. They were excited to begin their new life there as they began to unpack. However, after the first two weeks, filled with constant rainy weather, they had discovered that water had made its way inside several areas.We sent out Mark Buhr to thoroughly examine the situation for the understandably concerned family. After searching through the wet basement, a total of 5 basement cracks were found throughout the structure letting the water flow through. It was also discovered that the basement was outfitted with a sump pump which appeared to be functional, but the wall cracks were causing the water to flow in at peculiar angles and locations. This did provide some relief to homeowners that a new sump pump and drainage system would not be required.Our crew quickly began work on the cracks, filling them with an innovative polyurethane sealant called FlexiSpan, which not only seals the cracks but can flex dynamically along with the natural movement of the wall to ensure a long-term waterproof seal. Once the work was done, another walkthrough was conducted to ensure there weren’t any other possible causes of future water leaks or damage to help the homeowners rest easy.HomeSpec was able to quickly complete the job and restore faith in the family that this house could be a part of the future that the family wanted.

This homeowner contacted HomeSpec because his crawl space was damp, moldy, and making his house smell musty.  Our crew encapsulated the crawl space to solve this issue. That involves covering it with a vapor barrier and sealing off the area from water and air leaks. 

This Casco home is very close to Lake St. Clair and the area experiences a high water table. This means the water in the ground is above the level of below-grade spaces in the area - so many people there deal with wet basements and crawl spaces. (The same goes for homes near rivers and marshes, or areas with heavy rainfall.) The difference is, this homeowner called HomeSpec to solve their water problems.  Our team installed an interior drainage system, sump pump, vapor barrier, and dehumidifier. These 4 things are the pillars of a dry basement. The anti-microbial vapor barrier holds back water vapor from passing through the walls and directs it to the drainage system. The drainage system is installed around the perimeter of the foundation on top of the footer. It collects water from under the floor, but also from the walls. The water is then deposited into the sump pump, which then funnels the water away from the home through the discharge line. The dehumidifier will filter the air and control the moisture to prevent humidity and mold.   

The crawl space under this Casco home flooded after a heavy storm knocked out both of the sump pumps. The city is near a lot of water, so the neighbors have also dealt with this problem. They all recommended HomeSpec to these homeowners. We replaced the outdated sump pumps with TripleSafe sump pumps. These have 3 powerful pumps to ensure a flood doesn't occur, no matter the amount of water. We also installed a SmartPipe perimeter drainage system for the crawl space. Then the crawl space was encapsulated to seal it. This creates a vapor barrier and prevents water vapor and ground water from getting in.  Lastly, we installed a powerful, very efficient dehumidifier to remove the moisture out of the air and ensure the humidity doesn't exceed 55%. 

These homeowners contacted HomeSpec because their foundation wall was cracked and bowing inward. This is dangerous and can lead to the entire wall caving in.  But HomeSpec quickly fixed this by installing the PowerBrace system along the wall to stabilized and even potentially straighten it back to its original position. 

This homeowner contacted HomeSpec because he found several vertical cracks in his poured concrete foundation walls. The cracks looked like they had been leaking water into the basement as well.  Our crack technician went out to the home within a few days and repaired the cracks. They were sealed, waterproofed, and all evidence of their existence was erased! The homeowner was so pleased with how quick and simple the process was, he said he would refer us to everyone!