Before & After Photos

As Melissa prepared to retire this year, she wanted to eliminate future home maintenance worries, starting with stabilizing her settling garage foundation in Southfield, Michigan. Over time, the foundation had begun to sink, causing cracks and uneven surfaces in the driveway and garage floor. Melissa chose Ayers for a permanent, stress-free solution. Our crew first installed deep foundation supports (helical piers) to lift and secure the sinking structure. Then, we rebuilt and reinforced the worn foundation walls using a high-strength concrete application (shotcrete). With her garage now level and secure, Melissa can move forward in retirement knowing her home is protected for years to come.

Lias noticed cracks in her foundation and contacted us at Ayers Basement Systems. Our team set up and concluded an inspection; her foundation was bowing inwards, and foundational supports were needed. Our team suggested the PowerBrace system, which utilizes steel columns that attach to the footing of the home and the floor joist above. This system stopped Lisa's foundation from bowing and permanently stabilized it!

Greg's home is over 100 years old and was in serious need of foundational support since his current support beams were starting to twist and crack, so he gave Ayers a call for help. After inspecting the area our crew was able to conclude that he needed SmartJacks for support. SmartJacks will add strength and stability to the foundation as they are steel support columns that will stabilize his home. The support beam will properly lift the home to a level, stable position.

Greg was glad he made the call to ensure the safety of his older home!

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.