Before & After Photos

In this Grand Marais home, the homeowner was having trouble with their dirty, damp crawl space creating musty odors in their home. If left untreated this problem could have lead to mold and rot in the wooden supports of the building. The homeowner wanted to make sure they had a permanent solution to the problem instead of treating the symptoms, so they had DBS Residential Solutions encapsulate their crawl space with our patented CleanSpace polyethylene vapor barrier with the addition of a sump pump to remove water that entered under the barrier. 

Up the North Shore in Grand Marais, radon levels are commonly known to be in the danger zone. Due to the fact that radon can have serious effects on one's health, this homeowner wanted to find out the radon level in their own home. Although there is no safe level of radon, 4.0 pCi/L is the recommended level when action must be taken. This homeowner did some research and reached out to DBS, to have them make a trip out to the home for a free test. The results that came back showed the levels ranged from 11 pCi/L to 18 pCi/L, meaning a great danger for the homeowner. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, only second to smoking, which put the homeowner at a greater risk by having these high levels. The Specialist that came out to test the home, then explained to the homeowner what the best possible route would be to take care of the danger. The first step would be to seal all cracks in the home, but especially those in the basement, because radon comes from the ground. With all the cracks sealed, a fan moisture guard would be installed to filter out any radon gases trying to enter the home. This would then be transferred from the basement to the outside and above the home. After going through a thorough explanation and coming to a comfortable price agreement, a date was set to have a crew come out to complete the installation. Once that was complete, the levels were brought down so the homeowner no longer had to worry about the risk of exposure of radon. With radon no longer posing a threat, the homeowner was spared any additional health effects through the work of DBS.

After learning about the serious and potentially life-threatening dangers of radon, this homeowner in Grand Marais decided to get the home tested. Minnesota, along with other northern states, are areas where radon levels are commonly found to be in the danger zones. As a result, the homeowner was concerned about their own safety and the health of the guests staying in their privately owned lodge and decided to have someone come out to test their radon levels. Following a brief friendly phone call with the DBS office staff, an appointment was made to have a system design specialist make a trip out to the home and lodge to do a thorough inspection for free. At the appointment, the specialist was able to find that the levels were too high and explained what action was necessary in order to lower those levels. Thankfully, DBS offers a full radon mitigation service to rectify the homeowner's dilemma. Following a comfortable price agreement, a date was set to have a crew come out to perform the installation. The customer sealed any cracks in the basement and the system was installed. Now the homeowner no longer has to be concerned about any health threats posed by the radioactive gas.

Before, this Grand Marais home faced the daunting prospect of foundation caving, posing a severe threat to its longevity and safety – as clearly depicted in the first photo. Thanks to our PowerBrace™ system, seen in the after photo, we've not only stabilized the structure but also laid the foundation for years of secure, worry-free homeowner ship. Through our dedication to remarkable service and reliable solutions, we're ensuring this home stands strong for generations to come.

The owner of this home in Grand Marais, MN reached out to DBS with concerns about bowing walls.

Design Specialist Rich Johnsen went out to the property to conduct a free no-obligation estimate for the homeowner. After a thorough inspection, Rich recommended our PowerBrace® Wall Bracing System.

A DBS Foreman led the installation of this project with assistance from a crew. They installed 5 PowerBrace® i-beams along the walls in order to permanently stabilize them. Over time the system can be tightened in an attempt to straighten the walls back to their original position.

The homeowner can relax with peace of mind not having to worry about bowing walls.