Foundation Repair Photo Album: SmartJack System Installed in Laurens, SC

This homeowner—native to Laurens, South Carolina—was having rocky issues with its foundation. There was ceiling separation in the center section of the house. The bathroom door was sticking and the floor had a slight slope to it. All of these things combined made living in the home quite challenging. The owners were growing tired of just waiting on the issue to resolve itself. So, they took the initiative and began the search for a company who can do exactly what they needed and no more. This led them to us—All-Dry of the Carolinas. They gave us a call, and we were able to set them up with a free estimate. Our Design Specialist, Alex Rogers, came out and took a look around the home and crawlspace. Taking pictures of the home and crawlspace, he was not only able to identify those problem areas the customers pointed out, but he was also able to identify the best places to install our SmartJack System. SmartJacks are steel support systems used to permanently stabilize and level the girders and floor joists in a crawlspace. They aren’t normally used to replace existing columns, but they add strength and stability to what’s present. That was the idea behind this home’s install. Once the jacks were inserted, they were to lift the above floors and walls back toward their original position. The pictures showcase the finished work. After we completed the job, the customers were quite satisfied.

Supported on Blocks

The ceiling in this crawlspace was mostly supported by concrete blocks. The concrete columns are fine, but they eventually settle into the soil. This, of course, changes the overall level of the home as the columns sink.

Sizable Slope

This photo of the crawlspace reveals that slight slope the customers mentioned. It's a little difficult to see, but looking closely, you can see the sunken part of the ceiling.

Never Fixed

Concrete blocks are never a great starting point. These supports must always be supplemented with other pieces and parts to continue to function properly. The "fix" is never truly finished.

Alongside Supports

SmartJacks are meant to be installed along side existing supports. Here, we have the installation of one of the SmartJacks and, beside it, we have the previous supports still in place.

Key Points

The SmartJacks were placed all at key parts of the crawlspace. These were the spots the Design Specialist mapped out when he made the initial estimate.

Pressure? What Pressure?

On ground beneath the jack is crushed stone. In fact, there is actually two feet of crushed stone beneath the jack. This reduces the pressure on the soil to 10 percent of what it was. We call this the "Bulb of Influence."

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