Before & After Photos

This old Sandusky home was built way back in 1890 with a fieldstone foundation - and it's new homeowners were very concerned over something they discovered in the basement!

A rotting tree stump was found to be acting as a support post, barely holding up a beam above. This is dangerous because the support in the basement is what holds the entire home up. The structural integrity of the home depends on these posts and beams. The homeowners called HomeSpec to take care of the problem. 

Our crew was able to install two new support posts with a new beam and repair some of the joists to solve the issue. Now the homeowners can enjoy their new home without worrying about the structural integrity!

A homeowner in Port Austin, MI wanted to fix up their home so they could pass it on to their child and grandchildren. Unfortunately, the floors on the main level were sagging and there were noticeable settlement issues within the foundation. Those problems needed to be addressed before other repairs and upgrades could be done. The homeowner called HomeSpec Waterproofing and Foundation Repair for a free inspection and estimate.

Erik, a senior project manager, explored the crawl space, basement, and outside of the home to thoroughly grasp the situation. He shared with the homeowner that the best solution would be to use a SmartJack® support system in the crawl space to lift and stabilize the main beam. Supporting the main beam in the proper spots would lift the sagging floors and maintain a level surface on the first floor. The homeowner agreed to let HomeSpec install the SmartJack® supports and was glad that they did. They were happy with the final results and were excited to resume other renovations.

This Harsens Island homeowner wanted to build over his old garage and renovate it, but he had a problem. The interior and exterior block walls were covered in stair-step cracks and the structure was in bad shape. He wanted these repaired, so he called the experts at HomeSpec.

Our foundation specialists took a road trip (and then a ferry) up to Harsens Island to inspect the problem and provide a proposal. They ended up discovering that the cracks were a result of something more serious - foundation sinking. The problem would only get worse, and only fixing the cosmetic issues wouldn't solve anything. 

This happened because the soil under the foundation was too unstable/loose to support it. Helical piers were needed to stabilize the structure. The piers are screwed deep into stronger, more competent soil. They anchor into the ground and the weight of the foundation is transferred to prevent further sinking. They can even lift the foundation to its original position!

Now that the garage is stabilized, the homeowner is excited to continue with his renovations! 

This homeowner was dealing with a cracked and bowing foundation wall, so he called HomeSpec to see what his options for repair were. Bowing walls occur when there's some sort of pressure pushing the wall inwards - usually because of hydrostatic pressure or expansive soils.

To solve this issue, HomeSpec had to excavate the wall and push the wall back into place. Then it was waterproofed from the outside and drainage was installed. On the inside, the PowerBrace Wall Repair System was installed to stabilize the walls and prevent further movement. The cracks were also filled and reinforced with Carbon Fiber Power Grids. 

Now the basement wall is secure and dry. The homeowner was SO happy with the results and spoke very highly of the crew that did his repairs! 

A homeowner in Harbor Beach, MI had their house inspected, and it was revealed that their foundation needed repairs. After looking into different options, the homeowner decided to reach out to HomeSpec Waterproofing & Foundation Repair.

HomeSpec sent one of their inspectors, Erik, to take a look as well. It was during HomeSpec’s inspection that they learned there was more that could be done for this home aside from the necessary foundation repair. Erik brought forward the ideas to encapsulate the crawl space, waterproof the basement, get a dehumidifier, and get an air purifier. The homeowner agreed and scheduled a HomeSpec crew to come out for the work.

The crew was led by foreman Jim, to work on all of the projects simultaneously. The SmartJack® system began by cutting square holes into the basement floor and partially filling it with concrete to make a stable base. They positioned the steel column under the home's support beam to stabilize it and filled the remainder of the hole with more concrete to be level with the rest of the floor. As part of the basement waterproofing project, ThermalDry® Elite Plank Flooring was placed covering part of the concrete square.