New foundation under existing home becomes living space!

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Lifting a home out of the water table and gaining living space in the process.

Grand Haven, Michigan USA

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This three year old house was built with the basement in the water table. Pumps were installed, however they were cycling every thirty seconds, which cost the owners hundreds of dollars in electricity bills. In the three years since it was built, the pumps failed several times and the resultant flooding cost the owners several thousand dollars more. The owners contacted Deitz House Moving Engineers, Inc. to discuss the possibility of lifting the home above the water table.

DHME is often hired to lift homes above the surrounding water table. This process involves perforating the foundation, installing house lifting equipment, jacking the home above the water table, extending the foundation, lowering the home, partially filling the basement and installing a new floor. Above left, a DHME employee is perforating the poured concrete wall (with a concrete chainsaw) in preparation for installation of the house lifting equipment. Above right, we are installing the first layer of house lifting equipment, the yellow beam will extend through the foundation and is the same length as the house.

Above left, the second of two support beams is installed. Above right, a view from inside the basement shows the wooden support cribs and the support beams. If you look at the basement floor in this picture, you can see cracks which were created by the pressure of the water under the floor.

With our happy customers looking on, above left shows the second layer of support steel installed. Above right, shows the support cribs with hydraulic jacks installed. These jacks lift twelve inches per stroke. The cribs are extended as the jacks lift the house and after twelve inches of lift, the weight is transferred to the cribs and the jacks are lifted up another level.

The house is now lifted five feet above its foundation. The owner's son sits on the front step with the kick and front door safely lifted above his head. The owners elected to have DHME lift this house eight feet above the existing foundation. This allowed the owners to add a story.

Sand is being installed under the structure. The sand ramp allows a loader to carry and distribute the sand under the house. Above Right, DHME masonry crews have constructed cement block wall extensions and sand has been installed to ground level. This section of the basement will now feature a walk out wall effectively converting a damp dark basement into practical living space.

Here you see the walk out wall taking shape. Our carpenters have framed the wooden walls for the walkout and garage walls. A sliding door and full sized windows will feature a view of the wooded back yard.

The garage now elevated will be converted to living space. A new garage has been framed underneath and utilizes the existing garage floor.

This project is well on the way to being completed. The front yard has been elevated, a retaining wall allows the old driveway and garage floor to be re-used. The former garage has been converted to living space. The back yard now features a walk out and elevated deck.

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