Before & After Photos

Tom and his wife are taking care of his mother and wanted to remodel with a mother in law suite. They knew they had settlement of a part of the home and wanted to get it fixed before the remodel. The home sits on the crawl space so we had to stabilize under the home and the corner where the home was settling. We used SmartJacks in the crawl space to stabilize the beams and keep them from moving. This keeps the home at the correct level and the floors even. To support the outside of the home, we used Helical Piers. These stabilize the corner where the home is settling and lift it back up to the original level. Both of these have year-round fast, effective installations to provide a safe support to your family home.

Gerald and Nancy’s home was built in 1980, and they have been living in it since 1989. Over the years, the foundation has shifted slightly, but it wasn’t anything major. Recently, Gerald noticed huge stair step cracks in the foundation of the home. The cracks haven’t let any water inside, but it has caused the front corner of the house to sink. The couple called Ayers Basement Systems for an inspection. Our crew determined they would need Push Piers to every distribute the weight of the home to correct and prevent foundation shifting. 

Push Piers are round steel tubes that help carry the load of homes that are sinking or settling. It has a bracket that is secured to the outside footing of the foundation and is driven into the soil below. The weight of the home is transferred from the unstable soil causing settlement to the steel pier.  

Gerald and Nancy were delighted with the work completed by the Ayers crew. They were pleased with every step of the process from the first call to the final cleanup. They’ve lived in their house for years and can now remain there safely without fear of the house crumbling down around them.

Our friend Penny from Hale, MI began having issues with the walls in her basement bowing outward. With continued observation she could tell a couple of the walls were forming hairline cracks. Penny became very uneasy about her basement walls future and called us in search of professional help. We came to her rescue and devised a tactical solution consisting of twelve PowerBraces. The PowerBrace system encompasses adjustable steel I-beams that secure to the joists above the foundation wall, offering revolutionary support. The PowerBrace improves the condition of bowing and cracked walls by reversing the forces of nature and allowing them to move back to their original position. With this ideal solution in place, Penny can remain calm knowing her walls will eventually return to their proper position.

Stair step cracks in basements are a common sign that the foundation walls are bowing. Seeing two sets, like in this before photo, means that the foundation is really struggling. When bowing is this severe, the basement needs a proven system. The PowerBrace Wall Repair System is perfect for fighting the inward pressure that causes bowing. The beams in the after photo make up the system. They span from the floor joists in the ceiling to the foundation floor and put a halt to wall movement and any further damage. At the top of the beams, there are special tightening bolt attachments that can actually force the walls back toward their original position. With the strength of 16 PowerBrace beams behind the walls, this basement will remain protected and stable for years to come. 

While the stair-step like crack in the wall in the first photo may seem to be just an eyesore, it’s really an indicator of a large foundation issue. Over time, as soil settles around the foundation, the walls may experience pressure from this, causing the foundation walls to bow. If this occurs more severely in the middle of the wall, the adjacent corner walls will also be effected by the pressure, causing the stair-step cracking effect seen in the walls of this Oscoda, MI home. To stabilize and straighten the walls, our team installed 16 PowerBraces throughout the basement. This steel beam system is resistant to corrosion and can be tightened over time to continually improve the condition of the walls, preventing any further cracking.