Foundation Repair Before & After Photos

This basement owner had a semi-finished basement that had received I-beams from a different structural contractor. These beams that were installed did not stand the test of time and were breaking down. On top of that, their basement was also receiving water leaks. They called us this time to get it right for good. We ripped out the beams and installed our PowerBraces, which won't crack like the other ones they had installed. We also waterproofed with an interior perimeter system consisting of concealed WaterGuard drains, a SuperSump sump pump, and a SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier. The customer no longer needs to worry about wall failure or water leaks. 

This house was built on a slab foundation, meaning the footers were pretty much on top of the dirt. We often witness foundation problems for structures built on slabs because the footers do not sit beneath the frost line, (the frost line is where the soil is able to freeze underground). Because the footers of the foundation sit above the frost line, the soil beneath it often goes through periods of shrinking and expanding, causing havoc on the foundation. Although scary, we were able to fix this side of the structure relatively easily by underpinning the foundation with steel piers. After lifting the foundation back with the red attachment on the piers, (seen in the after picture) we then take the attachments off and backfill the piers, leaving them completely concealed from the ground. 

As we see with most bowed walls, there was a large horizontal crack in the block wall just below the frost line. You see, when water freezes underground outside your foundation, it causes the water to expand and push inwards towards your basement. Our repair is simple, but very effective. Our steel I-beams are very unique in their design and strength compared to most other steel beam options. Our PowerBraces, as we call them, are made of a high strength steel that prevents rust and other types of failures that you see with other I-beams. They are also designed to prevent damage to your floor joists and floors through weight dissipation. Lastly, they are also able to turn bowed walls straight again over time under the right circumstances. If you think this is a method you may be interested in then call us today for a free inspection!