Leaky, Unstable Garage Gets Fixed in Rochester, MN

A Rochester, MN, homeowner was dealing with a notoriously leaky attached garage. Standing water and leaky walls were just the tip of the iceberg. The homeowner also suspected that the walls of the garage were beginning to bow inward, indicating structural concerns. On the recommendation of a friend, she decided to call American Waterworks for her FREE estimate, and several weeks later, Ryan K, one of our Design Specialists, headed out to the home. 

Ryan took his time evaluating the garage and the surrounding landscaping. When he was finished, he was ready to make his recommendation. Ryan wanted to use several of our products to address the garage. First, Ryan wanted to use our Foamax wall panels. Insulating your basement walls with Foamax provides comfort and energy bill savings, while making your walls look clean and bright. Foamax is an advanced foam insulation panel that reduces condensation for exceptional moisture protection. Ryan also recommended to be our DryTrak drain pipe. Most foundations come in three pieces: walls, floor, and footing. Other foundations (called monolithic foundations) come with the floor and footing as one piece, and the walls are installed on top as a separate piece. Monolithic foundations have exceptionally thick floors around the edges. Jackhammering through these thick concrete floors is very time-consuming and creates a lot of dust! To avoid these issues, we recommend the DryTrak® Baseboard Drain Pipe System. This unique drain system is installed above the floor, eliminating the dust and labor of jackhammering. The DryTrak would connect to the appropriate disposal site, which Ryan recommended to be our TripleSafe sump pump. The TripleSafe is the most reliable sump pump system in our lineup, boasting three levels of protection for your basement and your peace of mind. For normal functioning, the TripleSafe has a powerful, cast-iron Zoeller® ⅓ horsepower sump pump set at the lowest level. For heavy volumes of water or in case of primary pump failure, a second, more powerful Zoeller® ½ hp pump set a bit higher in the liner will take over. To address the failing wall, Ryan recommended our PowerBrace system. This system is a patented foundation wall repair system that's designed to stabilize failing basement walls and provide the potential to straighten walls over time.

These steel I-beams will stabilize the wall in its current position without any further adjustment. Over time, the PowerBrace™ System can be tightened to make bowing or tilting walls straighter and more vertical. The homeowner was thrilled to know that Ryan had found remedies for her garage, and decided to schedule the project for several weeks later. 

On the day of the project, our Foreman, Jeromy, led his team through the installation. In the end, they installed 3 PowerBraces, 65 ft of DryTrak, and 65 ft of Foamax throughout the space. Now, our customer can enjoy her basement without worries of unwanted water!