Foundation Repair Before & After Photos

After noticing large cracks in his basement walls, Don became concerned about his foundation and rightfully so.  The stair step cracks running below the window of the before photo are one of a few key signs that a basement wall is bowing inward from pressure. This type of structural problem can mean the destruction of a home’s foundation if it isn’t properly and timely addressed. So when Don gave us a call, we rushed over to help him out.

The beams in the after photo, along with the tightening bracket used to connect them to the floor joists, make up the PowerBrace Wall Repair System. Tightening the bracket will push back on the walls and put a stop to the inward pressure. With any luck, the PowerBrace beams won’t only stop Don’s walls from bowing, they may actually push them back to their original position, as well. 

Scott had reached out to Ayers previously to have his foundation inspected. While he didn't go forward with the installation, the foundation worsened over the years. Eventually, Scott decided it was time to find a solution and contacted Ayers again. A System Design Specialist with Ayers went on to his home and conducted another inspection to determine what could be done to the problems. The inspection determined that Scott's walls were bowing, and the foundation was settling. While Scott installed various structural supports, one specific support was the PowerBrace System. The PowerBrace sits next to the foundation wall and attaches to the floor joist at the top of the wall. This system will stop Scott's foundation from bowing and permanently stabilizing his foundation. Scott was more than happy to have finally stabilized his home!

One look at this wall in a Holland, MI basement, and you know that something isn’t right. This slanting wall is also known as a bowed wall and is usually the result of hydrostatic pressure—when the soil around the foundation changes causing pressure to build and press against the foundation. Bowed walls can get worse over time, but with PowerBraces, they can actually get better.  These zinc-coated beams were installed along the wall, and will be tightened over time, gradually improving the condition of the wall and returning it back to the right place.

Cracks in a brick wall can be unsightly, but also a sign of something worse. This basement brick wall is clearly experiencing pressure, causing the wall to side and crack. Our Foreman Evan inspected the surrounding area and found unstable soil to be the culprit. The solution Evan used involved installing a Geo-Lock Ancor on the cracked area. 

The ground around the crack wall is dug up, and the base of the system is anchored deep into the ground, avoiding the weak soil. Within the basement, opposite the side where the anchors are placed, a metal plate is secured to the wall and attached to the anchor. The bolt connecting the apparatus is tightened, creating a constant source of pressure to not only correct the wall but also prevent new cracks.

Jason called us when he noticed that sand was starting to work its way through large cracks in his block basement wall. Upon inspection, our team found a severely bowing wall. Horizontal cracks with large gaps were present. In fact, our system design specialist was able to stick his hand two knuckles deep into the crack. The main concern was that the wall would fail completely leaving Jason's backyard in his basement.

Our crew put in a series of 16 galvanized steel PowerBraces around the basement along failing walls. These PowerBraces extend from the floor to the floor joists above. The floor joists are reinforced in a way that ensure that the load on the braces is distributed evenly and floor above maintains its integrity. The PowerBraces have an awesome and tightening system that other I-Beams just don't have. It allows our service team or the homeowner to slowly adjust the PowerBraces over time during dry periods in a way that could potentially improve the condition of the wall over time and even bring it back to its original position in many cases.