Before & After Photos

Dexter and Marla's Midland MI home was built in 1941. The couple had a different company waterproof their basement about 30 years ago. Since then, their home has had significant bowing as well as vertical and horizontal cracks in the walls. Every time it rained, water would flood in. They called Ayers for a solution that would last. We came out to inspect Dexter and Marla's home and determined that they would need us to install GeoLock Anchors to correct their foundation problem.

GeoLock Anchors permanently stop foundational shifting. The anchors have 3 parts. The first part is a plate on the interior foundation wall. A steel cable is drilled through the plate into the soil directed away from the home. A second plate is anchored to the other side of the cable for maximum stabilization.

Dexter and Marla were thrilled with the installation performed by Ayers Basement Systems! They can finally put their minds at ease knowing their home is sturdy and dry for years to come. 

This basement had a severe case of bowing walls, as you can probably tell by the separation of blocks in the before photo. This occurs because the pressure caused by expanding soil is too much for the foundation to handle, so instead of standing upright, the wall is being forced in and splitting at the middle. While we typically use one of two methods to solve bowing foundation problems, the condition of this basement called for both products: GeoLock Wall Anchors and the PowerBrace System. However, only one system, the PowerBrace beams, are seen in the after photo.

PowerBrace beams work by countering the pressure put on bowing walls. The bracket at the top of the beam was attached to the wooden floor joist above to shift the weight from foundation to beam. Not only does the beam take over supporting the foundation, the bracket can be tightened whenever the homeowner feels it necessary. Instead of being forced in, the wall will cease to move, and thanks to the tightening ability of PowerBrace, may even be forced back to its original position.  

These homeowners had a poured concrete retaining wall along the side of a basement entrance. The wall had a large crack in it and was starting to lean. That was no problem for out foundation repair crews. We installed three GeoLock wall anchors along the wall to permanently support the structure. These wall anchors consist of large steel wall plates that connect to GeoLock earth anchors buried in the ground out away from the wall with the help of a long steel rod. This prevents further leaning and provides a unique opportunity to improve the condition of the wall over time as the system is tightened, mainly during dry periods. This retaining wall should continue to stand upright and reliable for many many years to come.

Al was worried the cracks in his basement walls would continue to grow if left untreated. He needed help, so he called Ayers, and we sent our specialists to his home. They evaluated the situation and suggested GeoLock wall anchors, anchored to the basement wall and connected to ground anchors by steel rods. The ground anchors are implanted in solid, undisturbed soil to solidify the connection. Al loves his sturdy wall!

Leigh called Ayers when she noticed her basement support beams were unstable. After an inspection, our crew recommended SmartJacks to resolve this troubling problem. SmartJacks are a support system designed to stabilize and level the floor joists in a crawl space or basement. The jacks can support loads of more than 60,000 pounds. We connected these trustworthy steel support columns to a steel supplemental beam above and rested them on a sturdy base within the ground. Now, Leigh's family can feel more at ease with the stability of the basement's support system!