Crawl Space and Basement Wateproofing. Foundation and Concrete Repairs in Columbus, NJ

Don't let tripping hazards and sinking concrete intrude on your safety! This homeowner in Columbus, New Jersey noticed their concrete walkway was sinking and becoming unlevel. This occurs when concrete is poured over poorly backfilled soil. Over time, this soil settles and creates voids underneath the slab. This can also happen from the soil constantly expanding and shrinking due to wet weather and dry weather. If this goes without repair, someone could trip and injure themselves! 

The homeowner searched online for solutions and came across Quality 1st Basement Systems. They called us and our customer care representative booked them an appointment with our System Design Specialist, Chris Bowe. Chris provided a careful inspection and suggested they use polyurethane foam to lift and level the concrete. 

A few days later, our foreman arrived at the home and began the process of using our PolyLevel Injections. This is done by drilling small, penny-sized holes into the concrete and injecting the foam into the voids underneath. This process is repeated until the concrete is brought to a raised position. 

When the job was complete, the homeowner was happy to see their concrete walkway was raised and leveled. They no longer had to worry about tripping hazards! 

A resident in Columbus, New Jersey noticed their driveway was sinking and settling. This happens because concrete is sometimes poured over poorly compacted loose soil. Over time, this soil settles and creates voids under the concrete. This can pose very dangerous tripping hazards because a friend or a family member can walk on this driveway and trip over it. A driveway is supposed to provide safety, not tripping hazards.

The homeowner contacted Quality 1st Basement Systems and our System Design Specialist, Chris Bowe, helped them with a plan to fix this issue. He suggested they use a polyurethane foam that will lift the concrete to its original position.

Our foreman, Sean Johnson, used the PolyLevel Injection System on the sinking concrete. This is done by drilling small holes into the concrete and injecting the polyurethane foam into the voids. This foam has expanding properties that allow for a lift and leveling of the slab. PolyLevel is a great option because it can be installed in a matter of a few hours. It is also environmentally friendly, waterproof, and is a lightweight solution that will not add weight to existing soil. Now, the homeowner does not have to worry about tripping over their driveway.

James recently purchased a home in Columbus, NJ but a few months after moving in he noticed a smell coming from his crawl space. When entering, he immediately noticed dampness and small wet puddles near certain corners. The dirt floor was now mud and his insulation was falling out of the ceiling. 

James contacted Quality 1st Basement Systems for a free estimate on how to protect the space and keep it dry. We sent Crawl Space Specialist, Mike F. out to perform a full inspection and provide James with a recommendation on permanent solution.

When Mike entered the crawl space he was hit with that same musty smell indicating that the space was allowing moisture, water and humidity inside. He noticed signs of mold and efflorescence on the wall. Now it was time for Mike to figure out where it was coming from. 

Mike noticed the vents were open giving that humid air easy access to the crawl space. Water was coming up through the ground creating that dampness and the busy smell formed because of it. 

He recommended James fully encapsulate his crawl space to seal it off from the harmful outside environment preventing this crawl space from being healthy. He suggested covering the vents, putting a VaporBarrier System on the walls and floors and installing a dehumidifier to prevent a musty odor. 

Your crawl space is probably the only space in your home that you don't go in often or don't use at all. Yet, its one of, if not the most important place in your home. Why? Simply because over 80% of the air you breathe on the first level of your home comes from the space below, your crawl space! So  if your crawl space is damp and musty, its creating an odor, mold and poor air quality which you and your family are now breathing in while watching tv and eating dinner. Yuck! 

Quality 1st Basement Systems has been fixing nasty crawl spaces for over 20 years and so when Joanne and Michael from Columbus, NJ realized their crawl space needed to be checked out by a professional, they knew just who to call. We sent System Design Specialist, Javier, out to provide a full inspection and recommend a permanent solution to protect their home and provide them with peace of mind. 

Upon inspection, Javier noticed small puddles of water in multiple spots. There were white marks on the wall, known as efflorescence and signs of mold. The vents were allowing humid air come through along with moisture. Javier could also smell a strong odor that filled the entire area. Overall the space needed help and Javier knew exactly what to recommend.

Javier explained to Joanne and Mike that the best solution to their water problems in their crawl space was to completely seal the space off from the outside environment. The crawl space vents needed to be completely sealed with vent covers that would properly seal and prevent water from coming through. Next he recommended our CleanSpace Vapor Barrier to prevent water seepage and promote a cleaner space. Lastly, our crawl space sump pump known as SmartSump, to capture and direct water out of the crawl space and away from the home. 

Joanne and Mike were amazed at the experience they had with Javier. His honesty and knowledge is what helped them in their decision to hire Quality 1st to protect their crawl space.