Failing Basement Walls Get Anchored in Pipestone, MN
Challenge
A homeowner from Pipestone, MN, had been keeping an eye on his basement for some time now. He had been aware that several small cracks were running lengthwise on the foundation, but recently, he had noticed it had become worse, and now, he was facing water intrusion through the cracks and holes in the wall. The homeowner didn't know much about foundation repair MN, but decided to start looking for affordable foundation repair near Pipestone. During his search, he found our website and was impressed with the reviews from his area. He signed up for his FREE estimate, and several weeks later, Eric H, one of our Design Specialists, headed out to the home.
Solution
Eric completed his thorough inspection, and when he had finished, he was ready to meet with the homeowner. He began by saying that the homeowner was right to give us a call. He went on to say that because of the unique state of the basement, he was recommending two products to address the foundation failure and another three products to address the water intrusion issue. First, Eric, referring to the water intrusion issue, said he was recommending the following: CleanSpace, WaterGuard, and our SuperSump sump pump. Eric informed the homeowner that these three products would work together to keep the basement dry and healthy. Our CleanSpace is a 100% waterproof vapor barrier that is installed directly onto unfinished walls. With a 25-year warranty [PDF] for wear and tear, it's durable, washable, and has anti-microbial protection called UltraFresh built right in. CleanSpace works to direct water entering through cracks in the wall downward and into a perimeter drain, which, in this case, Eric wanted to be our WaterGuard. The CleanSpace on the wall gets fed into the WaterGuard. This unique French drain is installed below the slab of the basement floor but atop the foundation footing, keeping it out of the "mud zone" where other drains of this nature tend to clog. The WaterGuard collects water entering from the wall, as well as up through the floor, and gives it a channel to flow to a disposal site. Because the basement lacked this disposal site, Eric recommended the installation of our SuperSump. It is engineered to help keep the basement dry and healthy for extended periods, even in times of heavy water intrusion. The SuperSump® includes a powerful Zoeller® ⅓ horsepower cast-iron sump pump, capable of pumping 2,220 gallons of water per hour at an 8-foot head out of your basement. Then, Eric moved on to the foundation side of his recommendations. Eric wanted to use our GeoLock wall anchors and our PowerBrace wall repair system. Eric explained that Foundation walls are designed to support loads from above, not from the side. When side pressure on your walls exceeds their ability to withstand the force, they will begin to crack, bow, slide in at the bottom, and/or tilt in at the top. Rebuilding damaged walls may seem like the obvious (and expensive) answer, but even new walls will fail if the soil conditions are not changed. Wall anchors can counteract soil pressure by anchoring walls to stable, undisturbed soil outside your home. Thanks to threaded rods that extend through the wall, wall anchors can even be used to straighten walls in many cases! Eric went on to say that when it isn't possible to anchor walls in the soils outside the foundation due to property line restrictions, we recommend repairing your damaged foundation walls with the PowerBrace™ Wall Repair System. The PowerBrace™ is an adjustable steel I-beam system with two important benefits: stabilizing bowed or tilting walls, and (over time) forcing bowed or tilting wall sections back to their original position. The homeowner liked the sound of Eric's plan and decided to schedule the job on the spot.
Several weeks later, our Production crew, led by their Foreman, Matt Z, seamlessly installed all of the products in the basement. When they had finished, they had installed 120 ft of CleanSpace, 120 ft of WaterGuard, 1 SuperSump, 14 GeoLock anchors, and 5 PowerBraces. Now, our customer can rest easy knowing that her basement is healthy and stable!
Do you have cracks in a basement wall that allow water in? Click HERE to take the first steps towards claiming the basement of your dreams!
