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The concrete foundation wall on the front side of this home was crumbling and falling forward so severely, that the homeowners had to place sand bags in front of the wall to prevent it from falling completely out of place. This is a serious issue, and one that needed immediate repair. After researching to find the best Structural Repair Company in their area, they decided to call John's. They were impressed by our reviews as well as the fact that John's has been in business for over fifty years. Our Design Specialist arrived, and after inspecting the crumbling foundation wall, he put the homeowners minds at ease with an effective and permanent solution! He proposed repairing the wall by first removing all of the damaged parts, and then pouring a new concrete extension onto the remaining sound portion of the wall - returning complete strength and integrity to the foundation. The homeowners were very pleased with this solution, and gave us approval to begin the work. When our Structural Crew arrived, they began by removing all of the sand bags as well as the crumbling parts of the wall, leaving behind only the strong portions. Next, they attached a heavy-duty vapor barrier directly onto the original foundation wall, to ensure that no hydrostatic pressure would enter the new wall extension. In addition to the vapor barrier, we also attached rods of rebar directly onto the original wall, to firmly hold the new extension in place. To make certain that the new wall would be poured tightly against the original wall, we built our concrete forms using a technique of pressure. With the forms in place, we poured the new wall, allowed it to solidify, then removed the forms. The final step was scrubbing the new wall clean, for a nice finished appearance! The formerly crumbling foundation wall is strong once again, and these homeowners no longer have to worry about the possibility of the front of their home crashing down into the ground. The experts here at John's are always thrilled to restore safety and stability to family homes!
This homeowner noticed that the floors in their living room were beginning to sag. In certain spots, the floors even felt bouncy when you walked on them like the house was settling into the soil. Knowing that this was an older home and the soil had changed, the homeowner decided to call John's Waterproofing about our foundation repair solutions. For this home, we recommended installing 5 Push Piers along the foundation of the home to raise the house and keep it stabilized. These piers are driven into the ground using a hydraulic ram and uses the weight of the structure to help add more support. By installing these steel Push Piers, this offers the homeowners a permanent solution to their homes settling foundation.
The owner of this home called us with concerns about her crawl space. She told us that no one had been down there in many years, and that the floors inside of her home were sagging in several areas. She suspected that repairs were likely needed, and was eager to have our Design Specialist come take a look! On the day of his inspection, he found that the crawl space was very dirty, and had evidence of past water intrusion as well as rodent infestation. Moisture in the crawl space, as well as presence of rodents, creates a very unhealthy air environment. This is dangerous because 40% of the air inside of your home comes from your crawl space. Therefore, it is imperative to have a clean and waterproofed space beneath your home. He also found that in several areas the homes subfloor was being supported only by stacked pieces of wood and bricks. This inadequate and unsafe support system was the cause of the sagging interior floors. With his inspection complete, he wrote up a customized Job Proposal, and presented it to the homeowner. To clean up and waterproof the crawl space, he recommended installing a Pipe, Pump, Plastic system to collect and expel all water intrusion safely away from the home. To provide proper subfloor support, he suggested removing the stacks of wood and bricks, and replacing them with Steel SmartJacks. The homeowner agreed with these solutions, and we got her on our schedule.
When our crew arrived, they removed and disposed of all crawl space debris, as well as the make-shift wood and brick "piers". To ensure strong subfloor support, they installed 6 Steel SmartJacks in place of the stacked "piers". These Steel Piers are "jacked up" until interior floors are back to level. They are incredibly strong and effective, and will remain permanently in place to support the subfloor of the home. If adjustments are needed in the future, these Steel Piers are highly adjustable, making them the perfect long-term solution for replacement of inadequate crawl space piers. With the interior floors now level once again, the crew began waterproofing the space. First, they dug a narrow trench along the full interior perimeter. Inside of the trench, they laid our 3" Perforated Piping, to collect all water intrusion and route it to a SuperSump Pump, which will expel all of the water safely away from the home via a discharge line. Directly on top of the ground, they laid down our 6 Mil Black Plastic Vapor Barrier, to prevent ground moisture from leeching into the crawl space. All of the structural and waterproofing work in this crawl space is now complete. The experts here at John's have successfully restored integrity to the entire structure of this home, and have greatly improved the quality of the air within!
This crawl space was being invaded by rodents. There was one area they were entering through, and that was the original crawl space access that was made of concrete, with a simple wooden cover. To prevent rodents from being able to enter this crawl space, our crew installed a custom-cut Turtl Access and Door in place of the original access. The Turtl has an air-tight lid, and is made of highly durable, rigid plastic, that is weather resistant and will never rot or discolor. The lid can be locked using a padlock, if desired. The Turtl is highly effective at preventing rodent and debris intrusion into crawl spaces - keeping homes healthier and protected from the devastating and disgusting damage that rodents can cause.
During a crawlspace and foundation inspection, our Structural Design Specialist discovered several cracks within this concrete foundation wall. The cracks had been caused by many years of soil compression and expansion, allowing the foundation to shift and settle. With the weight of the home constantly putting pressure on the shifting foundation wall, many cracks were created over the years. A cracked foundation eventually creates cracked walls and ceilings inside of homes, and greatly threatens the integrity of the entire structure. To repair the cracks, and stop them from worsening, our crew of Structural Repair Experts first injected each crack with our Crack Epoxy Injection material, to bond and seal all of the jagged edges back together. Next, they covered each crack with several strands of Carbon Fiber Stitching. They attached the Carbon Fiber Stitching horizontally across each crack - permanently holding them together - and preventing them from worsening. Carbon Fiber Stitching is 10 times stronger than steel, and is a highly effective long term repair solution that returns structural stability to foundation walls. Our Structural Repair Experts have now reinforced the damaged foundation wall of this home with heavy-duty components that will provide permanent and effective structural support for many years to come!