Serving North Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Montana
CASE STUDIES
The homeowners' west wall was cracked and bowing approximately ½” inward. Cracks were visible, and some of the blocks were putting pressure on plumbing pipes that were running along the block wall. The homeowners were also concerned about the smells coming from the basement, as well as with making his basement more energy efficient. The basement was being used for storage and overflow space during family events.
Innovative Basement Authority proposed the installation of galvanized wall anchors to stabilize the bowing wall and apply pressure to the wall so that it would have an opportunity, over time, to straighten back out. When the wall anchor system was installed, the wall anchors were placed approximately 5’ apart on the west wall of the basement. Innovative Basement Authority installation crew began to tighten the Wall anchors, and immediately some of the bow was taken out of the wall. Conditions were dry at the time of installation and the soil had “shrunk” away from the home. With the wall anchors tight and the walls stabilized, the installation was complete.
To combat the smells the homeowners had complained of, Innovative Basement Authority also installed a dehumidifier in the basement. The dehumidifier has a carbon activated filter in the air filtration system. This filter along, with the ability of this dehumidifier to keep the humidity in the basement below 50%, made the basement smell much better.
To make the basement more energy efficient, Innovative Basement Authority replaced four basement windows for the homeowners. Innovative removed the old wooden single pane windows and replaced them with glass sliding windows. With their vinyl frames and double panes, these windows are much more energy efficient than the old ones. With the old wood framing removed, the windows were able to seal to the basement foundation much better, creating a much more air-tight space.
Several months after the project's completion, the homeowners asked if someone could come by to check the wall anchors and service the dehumidifier. A service call was set up, and Innovative Basement Authority sent out someone to tightened the wall anchors and change the filters on the Dehumidifier. The homeowners are very pleased that they no longer have to worry about their basement wall collapsing and are happy to have a healthy, warm basement.
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