The Home Builders Association of Greater Southwest Illinois Remodelers Council recently named Helitech Waterproofing & Foundation Repair of Belleville, Illinois, a Remodeler of Distinction in both the Foundation Renovation and Waterproofing Renovation categories, in recognition of their professional remodeling expertise. The award was given at the Home Builders Association Installation Banquet held recently in Fairview Heights, IL.
“Helitech Waterproofing and Foundation Repair is one of our area’s outstanding leaders in the remodeling industry,” said HBA President, Chris Jones, with C.A. Jones. “I’m honored to acknowledge this award for an industry leader who has shown such dedication to promoting consumer awareness, professionalism, and community service.”
The HBA Remodelers of Distinction Awards were created to bring attention to the extraordinary work performed in the renovation side of the housing industry. A team of judges and professionals in the remodeling and design fields carefully review entries in each category against tough criteria, considering workmanship, value to client, materials used, trades involved, innovative solutions, and special conditions.
Helitech has been in business since 1987, a member of the HBA for over 20 years, and has representatives that serve on the HBA Board of Directors. Helitech is a proud supporter of a number of charities, including the Violence Prevention Center of SWIL, American Cancer Society, Poshard Foundation for Abused Children, Good Shepherd Children & Family Services, and several local area food pantries, city chambers, and churches.
To see more about the projects that received the 2014 Remodeler of Distinction Award, visit www.hbaswil.org.
Scope of Project: Waterproofing a 100 Year Old Home
Job Completion: January 2014 in Godfrey, IL
Overview:
Mr. Smith contacted us due to constant leaking and water seeping into his basement. He and his wife loved their 100 year old home and wanted to preserve it in order to remain there for the rest of their lives. A major concern and setback, however, was having a dry area that they could utilize as storage.
Problem:
Due to the age of the home, the blocked walls were extremely permeable and the major source of the leaking. In addition, the existing basement floor was very thin and cracked which allowed seepage to enter. The Smiths’ house is classified a “Pier and Beam” foundation, common in many older homes. Pier and beam foundations have advantages, but the major downfall is they are susceptible to problems such as cracking, seepage, unevenness, and mold due to moisture.
Challenges:
The work area in the Smith’s home was limited as we had to work around existing support columns (as seen in the “during” pictures). There was also limited access for concrete trucks due to the location on a major highway.
Solution:
The steps involved to provide a permanent, dry solution for the Smith’s included: removing all storage items from the basement, breaking up the existing floor, digging a trench around the perimeter of the foundation, installing the Hydraway Drainage System, and pouring a new concrete floor.
Mr. Smith was in agreement a total fix was necessary, which included removing all storage and utilities from the basement work area. Those utilities included: washer, dryer, sink, water heater, and all personal storage. The bottom two steps to the basement needed replaced before repairs could begin. The utility lines required removal off the wall. An outlet also needed installed for the proposed sump pump.
After the preliminary steps were completed, we were able to remove the entire existing floor. Due to the limited access, handheld drilling equipment was required.
The next step consisted of digging a trench to allow space for the Hydraway to be installed around the perimeter of the foundation and down the center of the basement. The Hydraway was inserted vertically, alongside the footing to relieve pressure before any incoming water reaches the basement floor/slab elevation. By doing so, this protects the integrity of the newly poured floor.
The sump pit was inserted into the lowest part of the basement where water flows into from the Hydraway. Inside of the pit, the sump pump and battery backup was installed to ensure peace of mind for the Smiths.
After all Hydraway installation steps were complete, the trench was backfilled with previously excavated soil.
In order to protect and brighten the existing blocked foundation walls, we installed a Wall Paneling System. Rigid wall panels were directly secured to the basement walls, custom fit with matching connectors.
The last step in this project was to pour back the concrete floor and leave the basement looking brand new.
The entire project was completed in 6 days.
Scope of Project: Basement Wall Repair
Job Completion: April 2014 in Ellisville, MO
Overview:
Mr. Jones contacted us concerned with settlement on the rear foundation wall of his home. Six months prior to Mr. Jones’ call, he hired a different foundation repair contractor to install piers on the rear foundation wall and center beam of his house, as well as wall anchors on the front foundation wall.
Problem:
During the initial inspection, our certified technician discovered there was no attempt by the previous company to drop and level out the center beam of the house; they only worked to stabilize the rear foundation wall. We also found the front foundation wall had dropped approximately 3-and-a-half inches from the center beam.
Due to the amount of settlement, there was significant visible damage within the house. This damage included doors that stuck and were hard to open, and breaks and cracks in the drywall (as seen in the photos). There were also issues with the toilet and vanity; the settlement caused the surface the toilet and vanity rested on to settle unevenly and improperly stack up. Gaps in the ceiling were created because the trusses were not properly resting on the walls. It was noted in the foreman’s/pre-construction detail this job would be difficult due to the previous construction and limited access.
Solution:
Since the previous company left the rear foundation wall 1 inch lower than the center, we had to remove, lower, and install 4 new interior beam posts in the house. This repair helped level off the middle-to-back-half of the house and foundation.
By installing new, lower center beam posts, the amount of settlement to front foundation wall was now reduced to 2-and-a-half inches. In order to make up for this difference, we installed eleven (11) Helical Piers.
This installation of helical piers required many steps outside and above the normal process. In terms of depth, excavation is required to be as deep as the footing in order to secure a steel bracket to the foundation at each pier location. In terms of width, typical install only requires holes to be excavated at each bracket and anchor location. For this project, we had to work around the existing wall anchors. This required the entire front to be excavated to allow install access and to reduce the soil load.
Before excavating the entire front wall, several preliminary steps were required. The front porch needed to be completely removed. In doing so, the front porch overhang needed to be braced for the entire project. Brick on front of the house also needed to be removed (the brick was reinstalled after project completion).
After pre-construction steps were completed and excavation requirements were met, we were then able to install and secure eleven (11) brackets to the foundation at each pier location.
The next step was to install the new helical piers into the ground below each bracket. Each lead helix rod was installed by rotating the anchor into the ground as extensions were added until the proper depth was reached. The anchors were attached to each bracket and the weight of the house was successfully transferred to the anchors. This stabilized and lifted the front wall approximately 2-and-a-half inches.
We also had to clean up the work area of the previous company by sealing around their existing anchors from the outside before backfill was completed.
When the lift process was completed, elevations were checked and the entire first floor was all within a half-inch of being completely level and back to normal. This lifting drastically improved the issues and damage that was noticed upstairs. We were able to solve several problems, including: drywall cracks were closed and sealed; all doors now worked properly (including the front door that was stuck and completely unable to be used); and the floors no longer sloped.
The entire project took 7 working days to complete.
