Real Estate Inspector Donny Helps a Homeowner in California, KY, Stabilize Their Foundation

Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 by Jack Purdon

Challenge

This homeowner in California, Kentucky, was trying to sell their home, but cracks in the floors and walls—both in the original structure and a new addition—made the process difficult. Wanting to address the issue and be transparent about the home's settling problems, they sought repairs before listing it for sale.

Before we got involved, another contractor assessed the home and recommended lifting the floors with foam, claiming this would stop the cracking. However, just a few months after the foam injection—and as the homeowner was wrapping up renovations—the cracks worsened. The contractor had misdiagnosed the underlying issue, costing the homeowner valuable time and money.

Solution

Our real estate inspector, Donny, was called in to diagnose the real problem. Frustrated with the previous contractor’s failed solution, the homeowner wanted a fix that would work 100%. They provided Donny with the home's blueprints, including the addition that was experiencing the worst issues.

While reviewing the blueprints with the homeowner during the inspection, Donny spotted the problem hidden in the details. Unlike the rest of the house, where the floor slab extended next to the foundation footing, the addition’s slab was resting on top of the footing. This difference was the key to understanding why the foundation was settling unevenly.

A Two-Part Solution

Because the home had two different types of foundations, Donny designed two separate solutions.

Solution for the Rotunda Addition:

For the addition, Donny recommended installing six helical piers from inside the home. Since the addition’s slab was sitting directly on the footing, raising the footing with helical piers would lift and stabilize the floor. Typically, helical piers are installed from the outside, but a large, beautiful deck blocked exterior access. Instead, our team installed them from inside to avoid disrupting the deck.

Solution for the Rest of the Home:

For the rest of the sinking home, Donny recommended twelve slab piers. Unlike helical piers, which attach to the footing, slab piers connect directly to the slab itself. Since the main floor slab was not resting on the footing, helical piers wouldn’t have been able to lift it effectively. Slab piers provided the right support to raise and stabilize the sinking areas.

Once both piering systems were installed and the floors were lifted back to their original positions, we filled the voids beneath the slabs with PolyLevel foam. This expansive foam reached all the gaps created during lifting, providing additional stability and long-term support.

A Home Ready for the Market

A couple of months after we completed the job in December 2024, the homeowner sent Donny a message with great news. He was finally putting the home back on the market, confident that it was 100% stabilized. Even better, he felt comfortable being fully transparent with potential buyers, knowing that The Basement Doctor had permanently fixed the foundation.

When the home sells, our transferable warranty will pass to the new owners at no cost, offering peace of mind for years to come.

Additional Repairs: Solving a Water Intrusion Issue

Attached to this case study is the homeowner’s review. In addition to foundation issues, there were also concerns about water intrusion in the new addition. Other contractors had tried to sell the homeowner a sump pump, but Donny recognized that wasn’t the right solution.

The real issue was where the old foundation met the new foundation. Since fresh concrete doesn’t bond well to existing concrete, a small gap had formed, allowing rain and moisture to seep in. Instead of installing an unnecessary sump pump, we sealed the gap using our FlexiSpan system, effectively stopping the water intrusion at its source.

Why it's Important to Have an Experienced Inspector:

Donny has a keen eye for details that other contractors often overlook or ignore out of convenience or inexperience. As a dedicated representative of The Basement Doctor, he upholds our core values by prioritizing homeowners’ best interests and ensuring they get the highest return on their investment. If you or someone you know is buying or selling a home, give our office a call to schedule a free evaluation with our Real Estate Department.

Donny holds onto a copy of the blueprint from this job as a reminder of how he was able to step in and help a homeowner when they needed it most. In small lettering, the blueprint read how the additions foundation was situated differently from the rest of the home.

These cracks were making the homeowner have a tough time selling the home. The homeowner couldn't sell the home in good faith knowing the settling issue hadn't been fixed.

This home was on a hill, which can make it difficult for foundations to be secure. Our piering system transfers the weight of the foundation from loose soil, to load-bearing soil that won't shift found deep in the earth.

This was the addition on the home that was sinking. We couldn't install our helical piers from the outside because of the deck, but no matter.

Here's a photo of one of the slab piers we installed under the floor. The rectangle shape hole allows us to fit the bracket in, then we twist the rectangular bracket to ensure it has a strong connection to the slab. This picture also displays the steel nob at the center of the pier, which allows us to lift the home.

We installed slab piers throughout this hallway.

The concrete shows where we installed slab piers for this room. They will remain concealed.

This was the rotunda addition where we installed 5 helical piers from the inside. The helical piers are closer to the perimeter of the room because they latch onto the footing, unlike slab piers which are calculatedly placed closer to the center of the slab.