Foundation Repair Before & After Photos

A bowing wall can threaten a home’s entire structural integrity. Common signs of a bowing wall are horizontal cracking (seen just below the window in the before picture), stair step cracks, and walls that lean towards the top. This Clare, MI home was bowing so far inward that all 3 of those symptoms could be seen. The severity of the foundation damage would require both an internal and external solution.

Our Geo-Lock wall anchors – the external solution – are seen in the after photo, ironically from the inside of the basement. The anchors work by pulling the collapsing wall outward and back toward its original straight position. In the after photo, you can see the Geo-Lock wall plates. These are connected by steel rods to earth anchors that were placed in stronger, unharmed soil. In total, it took 4 wall anchors to pull this basement’s walls out, but it’s a small price to pay when you consider that the Geo-Lock system will continue to improve the walls conditions for years to come. 

This Mason, MI, home had been dealing with a crumbling basement foundation for some time, and the issue had recently progressed to signs of water intrusion. The homeowner wanted to address these foundation concerns first to avoid further damage to the structure. Shotcrete proved to be the perfect solution, not only to strengthen the basement walls against future foundation damage and moisture problems but also to give the space a fresh, clean look. With the basement foundation stabilized and fortified against water issues, the homeowner felt relieved and confident, knowing the foundation was finally secure.

Drew called after buying a new home with a few basement issues. For one, a basement wall was tilting one to two inches. He also had some wet basement issues. Originally, Drew called thinking that he was going to be getting an estimate on excavating outside the home, fixing the wall, back filling and repairing the concrete driveway that would have to be ripped out in the process. Fortunately for Drew, the process was much easier. We ended up installing a series of six PowerBraces along the tilting wall. These braces are I-beams which extended from floor to ceiling and help prevent the wall from tilting any further. They even have a unique tightening feature that gives the potential to improve the condition of the wall over time. At the same time, we waterproofed the wall by adding our WaterGuard perimeter drainage system along the base of the wall. Concrete is excavated around the base exposing the home's footing. The drain is placed along the footing and drainage stone is filled around it. The concrete is then replaced over top. The drain leads to a sump pump which safely removes any water that gets gathered along the base of the wall. Installing both PowerBraces and WaterGuard at the same time allows us the chance to secure the braces to the home's footing and then place concrete around the bottom of the brace, giving it greater strength and reliability. No excavation was needed on the exterior and the basement wall is now permanently secure and waterproofed.

In East Jordan, MI, a homeowner was struggling with a sagging crawl space foundation in their historic home. After attempting to stabilize the floors with concrete blocks and wood planks, it became clear that a more permanent solution was needed. That’s when they reached out to Ayers.

Our team installed SmartJacks and supplemental beams to provide the necessary support and stabilize the sagging floors. Now, with a lasting solution in place, the homeowner can enjoy peace of mind, knowing their home’s foundation is secure and they won’t have to rely on makeshift DIY fixes again.

Elizabeth’s Jackson, MI, home faced foundation settlement issues, with cracked stone walls and failing support poles in the dirt floor basement. By applying durable shotcrete wall reinforcement and installing SmartJack® supports to lift and stabilize the floors, her foundation is now secure, and her home is protected for the long term.