Before & After Photos

Willa was concerned about her family's safety in the basement of her home. She recently realized that she didn't have windows or a door of any sort to provide an emergency escape, so she called Ayers for help. We sent a team of specialists to Willa's home to examine the space and they recommended installing an egress window. Each egress window includes stairsteps and a polycarbonate safety cover, and they're durable to withstand rough weather conditions. Willa feels confident in her escape plan!

This South Haven, MI homeowner struggled with water intrusion and high humidity in their lakeside crawl space, which led to mold growth and threatened the home’s structural integrity. Ayers installed a CleanSpace vapor barrier to seal out moisture, a SmartSump to manage water intrusion, and a SaniDry dehumidifier to control humidity. The result? A clean, dry, and healthy crawl space that safeguards the home for years to come.

The arrival of spring is - for most - a happy occasion. These customers weren’t as fortunate. Whenever the season changed, the melting snow would fill up the soil around their home and leak through their walls. This is a fairly common problem, especially for poured concrete walls. To solve it, we use the FlexiSpan system. The two-layer sealant acts in, you guessed it, two distinct steps. One layer plugs the leak and creates a durable and flexible seal, in case the expanding soil continues to push and move the wall. The second layer is for drainage. A polymer coating placed over the first seal won’t allow water to enter the basement. Also included in the FlexiSpan system is a drainage system that sits at the foot of the wall. If water does happen to pass through the first layer of sealant, it will flow behind the drainage layer and into the system. When spring time rolls around next year, these customers can focus on enjoying the sun instead of worrying about leaks. 

As you can see in the before photo, the stone walls in this basement were having a hard time keeping water out. The leaking water would enter through the walls and then flow down to the floor where it would puddle and result in the large, dark spots in the photo. The owners planned on remodeling and finishing the basement, but as of now, all they wanted was a waterproof system that would put an end to the leaks and floor puddles.

In the after photo, you can see our solution – CleanSpace Vapor Barrier Walls. The white plastic liner is impenetrable by moisture and spreads from the top of the wall to the floor. Any water that leaks into the basement will flow behind the barrier and down the wall. But this time, instead of puddling on the floor, that water will go into a newly installed perimeter drainage system that rests in the floor and wall joint. Neither the walls or floors will show water damage again. 

Stair-step cracks in walls are a major indicator that there are foundation problems, which is what we found in this block wall basement in Lowell, MI. By installing Geo-Lock wall anchors, these steel wall plates will not only stop the foundation from any further bowing, but straighten out the walls back to an upright position over time. One plate is installed in the soil away from the wall while while the other is directly against the bowing wall. A steel rod connects the two plates which is tightened over time to continue straightening. No more foundation issues for this homeowner!