Foundation Repair Case Studies: Kirkwood, Missouri YMCA Basement and Foundation Restored

Wednesday, February 8th, 2017 by Desiree Bainbridge

Challenge

The Kirkwood, Missouri YMCA has both a crawl space and a basement beneath it. Unfortunately, both the crawl space and the basement were wet, musty, and moldy. Water leaked into the basement at the floor seam, but it also seeped in through the cracked foundation walls. Upon further inspection, Woods Basement Systems System Design Specialist John S. discovered that the foundation was bowing.

Due to increased hydrostatic pressure in the soil, the foundation walls began to bow inward and eventually crack. In addition to bowing, the foundation had also settled. The floors of the YMCA had begun to settle. John designed a solution to restore the foundation, crawl space and basement.

Solution

Jose L., foreman, and his team began by waterproofing the basement. WaterGuard, a perimeter drainage system, was installed. WaterGuard collects and guides water to the TripleSafe sump pump system. TripleSafe is equipped with a main pump, backup pump, and battery-powered pump to ensure the basement stays dry at all times. In addition to WaterGuard and TripleSafe, IceGuard was installed. IceGuard provides an exit for water in the event that the discharge lines ever become frozen or clogged.

To waterproof the crawl space, the CleanSpace crawl space encapsulation system was installed. CleanSpace is an inorganic vapor barrier. It was installed in conjunction with SmartPipe and SmartPump to prevent water from entering the crawl space. Because it is inorganic, CleanSpace does not support mold growth.

Jose and his team then installed SmartJack to restore the sagging floors in the crawl space. SmartJack is a system made of galvanized steel, so it is resistant to corrosion. This system lifts and aligns the floors to their original position and provides continuous support. SmartJack can hold up to 60,000 pounds and can be adjusted over time as needed.

To support the bowing foundation walls, PowerBrace was installed. The PowerBrace system consists of galvanized steel I-beams. PowerBrace restores the walls to their original position and provides support for the foundation.

The combination of these systems has restored the Kirkwood, Missouri YMCA. The crawl space and basement are now waterproofed, and the foundation is safe and supported.

Project Summary

System Design Specialist: John Salazar

Primary Foreman: Jose Lorenzana

Water flooded into the Kirkwood, Missouri basement causing mold.

The musty, moldy crawl space was not well supported. This photo shows the affects mold has had on the area.

Water leaked into the Kirkwood, Missouri YMCA through cracked walls and at the floor seam. WaterGuard was installed to collect and guide water away from the basement.

A trench drain was installed to collect water before it could enter the basement.

The CleanSpace crawl space encapsulation system was installed in the crawl space of the Kirkwood YMCA. CleanSpace is an inorganic vapor barrier so it will not support mold growth.

The TripleSafe sump pump system is equipped with a main pump, backup pump, and battery-powered pump to ensure the basement stays dry.

SmartJack was installed to lift the sinking floors to their original position and provide support.

The SaniDry dehumidifier was installed to reduce the relative humidity in the basement. Reducing the humidity reduces mold growth. SaniDry is energy efficient so it does not hike energy bills.