Foundation Repair Photo Album: Hydraulic Lifting of Foundation with Basement Waterproofing - Portland, OR

Settling foundations are very prevalent in the PNW, as our climate is predominantly wet, causing rain water to accumulate in the ground. This ground water poses risks to the stability of homes, as it erodes the soil beneath foundation walls, and also creates hydrostatic pressure. Years of non-mediated water intrusion into and near homes, rapidly deteriorates the structural components that support the weight of the home. This creates foundation wall shifting, settling, and cracking, as well as problems inside of the home including uneven flooring, sticky door frames, sheetrock cracks, and an overall uncomfortable living environment. This is where John's comes in! As your leading, local experts in waterproofing and structural repairs, our crews are ready to help families thrive inside of dry, stable, and healthy homes. This homeowner called on John's after noticing water intrusion into his basement, as well as uneven flooring inside of his home. Our Design Specialist thoroughly inspected the homes finished basement and foundation, and then wrote up a customized job proposal, detailing all of his findings, and offering the most effective, professional solutions. After the homeowner agreed to, and signed his proposal, we scheduled the job. First, our crew of structural experts made preparations to lift the settled portions of the foundation back to their appropriate and level height. For this they carefully disassembled the deck in the area along the settled portions of the foundation, and dug out 6 small areas along the foundation wall, for Helical Pier installation. Helical Piers are made of heavy-duty steel, and are hydraulically drilled deep into the Earth, until the dense, weight-bearing stratum is reached, and the home is lifted back to its correct height. The simultaneous installation of these piers, allows for our crews to ensure absolute precision and accuracy in achieving an even structural lift. Helical piers remain in place and immediately restore and preserve even weight distribution throughout the entire home. After installation, the dirt that our crews dug out, was shoveled back into place - leaving a nice finished appearance. Finally, we re-assembled the deck boards, and cleaned up the area, leaving no mess behind for the homeowner. With the 6 piers now successfully installed, our waterproofing crew got to work installing our WaterGuard System in the homes basement, collecting and pumping away all water intrusion. Our WaterGuard System has been effectively used for decades. It consists of narrow trenches installed at the base of the leaking basement walls, to catch all water intrusion, and route it to a SuperSump Pump for immediate expulsion far away from the home via an underground discharge line. To ensure that all water intrusion through the walls is caught in the trenches, our crew also installed ThermalDry Wall Sheeting directly onto the walls. ThermalDry is a double-sided, waterproof barrier, that sends incoming water down its backside and into the awaiting WaterGuard tunnels at the base of the walls. The material is made to be finished over top of, and creates a thermal break, helping the space maintain a more comfortable temperature year round. Installation of these waterproofing components will keep this homes foundation strong, by preventing erosion of the soil beneath the home, as well as easing the force of hydrostatic pressure build-up against the walls. A SaniDry dehumidifier was installed to remove excess moisture, and this space is now set up to be refinished.