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The concrete foundation wall on the front side of this home was crumbling and falling forward so severely, that the homeowners had to place sand bags in front of the wall to prevent it from falling completely out of place. This is a serious issue, and one that needed immediate repair. After researching to find the best Structural Repair Company in their area, they decided to call John's. They were impressed by our reviews as well as the fact that John's has been in business for over fifty years. Our Design Specialist arrived, and after inspecting the crumbling foundation wall, he put the homeowners minds at ease with an effective and permanent solution! He proposed repairing the wall by first removing all of the damaged parts, and then pouring a new concrete extension onto the remaining sound portion of the wall - returning complete strength and integrity to the foundation. The homeowners were very pleased with this solution, and gave us approval to begin the work. When our Structural Crew arrived, they began by removing all of the sand bags as well as the crumbling parts of the wall, leaving behind only the strong portions. Next, they attached a heavy-duty vapor barrier directly onto the original foundation wall, to ensure that no hydrostatic pressure would enter the new wall extension. In addition to the vapor barrier, we also attached rods of rebar directly onto the original wall, to firmly hold the new extension in place. To make certain that the new wall would be poured tightly against the original wall, we built our concrete forms using a technique of pressure. With the forms in place, we poured the new wall, allowed it to solidify, then removed the forms. The final step was scrubbing the new wall clean, for a nice finished appearance! The formerly crumbling foundation wall is strong once again, and these homeowners no longer have to worry about the possibility of the front of their home crashing down into the ground. The experts here at John's are always thrilled to restore safety and stability to family homes!
This homeowner noticed that the floors in their living room were beginning to sag. In certain spots, the floors even felt bouncy when you walked on them like the house was settling into the soil. Knowing that this was an older home and the soil had changed, the homeowner decided to call John's Waterproofing about our foundation repair solutions. For this home, we recommended installing 5 Push Piers along the foundation of the home to raise the house and keep it stabilized. These piers are driven into the ground using a hydraulic ram and uses the weight of the structure to help add more support. By installing these steel Push Piers, this offers the homeowners a permanent solution to their homes settling foundation.
The owner of this home called us with concerns about her crawl space. She told us that no one had been down there in many years, and that the floors inside of her home were sagging in several areas. She suspected that repairs were likely needed, and was eager to have our Design Specialist come take a look! On the day of his inspection, he found that the crawl space was very dirty, and had evidence of past water intrusion as well as rodent infestation. Moisture in the crawl space, as well as presence of rodents, creates a very unhealthy air environment. This is dangerous because 40% of the air inside of your home comes from your crawl space. Therefore, it is imperative to have a clean and waterproofed space beneath your home. He also found that in several areas the homes subfloor was being supported only by stacked pieces of wood and bricks. This inadequate and unsafe support system was the cause of the sagging interior floors. With his inspection complete, he wrote up a customized Job Proposal, and presented it to the homeowner. To clean up and waterproof the crawl space, he recommended installing a Pipe, Pump, Plastic system to collect and expel all water intrusion safely away from the home. To provide proper subfloor support, he suggested removing the stacks of wood and bricks, and replacing them with Steel SmartJacks. The homeowner agreed with these solutions, and we got her on our schedule.
When our crew arrived, they removed and disposed of all crawl space debris, as well as the make-shift wood and brick "piers". To ensure strong subfloor support, they installed 6 Steel SmartJacks in place of the stacked "piers". These Steel Piers are "jacked up" until interior floors are back to level. They are incredibly strong and effective, and will remain permanently in place to support the subfloor of the home. If adjustments are needed in the future, these Steel Piers are highly adjustable, making them the perfect long-term solution for replacement of inadequate crawl space piers. With the interior floors now level once again, the crew began waterproofing the space. First, they dug a narrow trench along the full interior perimeter. Inside of the trench, they laid our 3" Perforated Piping, to collect all water intrusion and route it to a SuperSump Pump, which will expel all of the water safely away from the home via a discharge line. Directly on top of the ground, they laid down our 6 Mil Black Plastic Vapor Barrier, to prevent ground moisture from leeching into the crawl space. All of the structural and waterproofing work in this crawl space is now complete. The experts here at John's have successfully restored integrity to the entire structure of this home, and have greatly improved the quality of the air within!
This crawl space was being invaded by rodents. There was one area they were entering through, and that was the original crawl space access that was made of concrete, with a simple wooden cover. To prevent rodents from being able to enter this crawl space, our crew installed a custom-cut Turtl Access and Door in place of the original access. The Turtl has an air-tight lid, and is made of highly durable, rigid plastic, that is weather resistant and will never rot or discolor. The lid can be locked using a padlock, if desired. The Turtl is highly effective at preventing rodent and debris intrusion into crawl spaces - keeping homes healthier and protected from the devastating and disgusting damage that rodents can cause.
For many years, rain water accumulation on this driveway had caused damage to this homes foundation walls, as well as the retaining wall off to the side of the home. Damage from rainfall to homes in the PNW is exceedingly common, as our climate is persistently wet. Homes that are not professionally waterproofed, are at great risk of significant damage by way of rain fall, and the accumulation of ground water around the home. This is where John's comes in! We have been your leading, local experts in all things waterproofing, here in the PNW, for over 50 years. Our crews are professional, experienced, and never tire of helping families thrive in dry, clean, and stable homes. In instances such as this, where rain water accumulation is occurring predominantly on the driveway, installation of a Trench Drain is recommended in order to protect the homes foundation from serious water damage. When foundation walls are not protected from water intrusion, structural damage to the home can become imminent, as water both erodes the soil that the walls depend upon for stability - causing shifting of the walls, and also exerts hydrostatic pressure build-up causing cracking, bowing, and deterioration. All of these serious issues can be avoided with the installation of a Trench Drain, installed by the waterproofing experts here at John's.
First, we cut a shallow, narrow trench into the existing concrete driveway. Inside of the trench, we place our steel Trench Drain Tunnels, to collect all rain water that comes down in that area. All collected water will be routed downhill, and expelled safely away from the home via an underground discharge line. After the Trench Drain is placed, and the proper downhill sloping is verified, we pour fresh concrete around the Trench Drain, to hold the system firmly in place. Worried about clogs? Clogging and obstructions in the system are not a concern, as our Trench Drain system was designed to be user friendly, with an easy to clean and remove cover. As this system utilizes gravity for water expulsion, rather than electricity, upkeep and functionality remain simple and straightforward for the life of the system.