Thrasher Foundation Repair Case Studies: Gutter Guard Installation to Protect Foundation
Challenge
This Sioux City homeowner constantly has clogged gutters and isn't able to clean them herself. Her son drives from Des Moines two to three times a year to clean them out for her, but she doesn't want him to have to do that anymore. Additionally, this customer believed she had some foundation issues and wanted to get it checked out.
One of our System Design Specialists came out to Cedar Falls to assess the situation. The SDS found that her wall had a one-inch deflection and was therefore bowing inwards. He came to the conclusion that soil and water pressure were the root of this problem. After checking out the foundation, he looked at the home's gutters. They had no covers and because there are many large trees in her yard, leaves are bound to clog her system.
Thrasher had previously done wall support work for other areas of this client's basement and had done some waterproofing work. She trusted us and our work so she chose to let us help her with the job. Plus the additional wall support is a product she already has in her house.
Solution
To begin the project, we started with the foundation repair. We used PowerBraces to fix her bowing wall. PowerBraces are zinc-plated steel beams that were custom-fit to this homeowner's basement wall height. They were then secured against the wall with brackets that are anchored to the basement floor and floor joists. PowerBrace is designed to be tightened over time with the potential to reserve wall failure without any major destruction to the property.
Our next stop was to do something about the gutters. We installed RainDrop gutter guards on top of the home's existing gutters. RainDrop is a maintenance-free self-cleaning gutter protection option. Not only are RainDrop gutter guards convenient, but they also protect the foundation because water pooling around the home can do extreme damage. Now this homeowner won't have to worry about clogged gutters and is "happy that her son doesn't have to drive all that way just to clean her gutters."
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Project Summary
Bowing Walls: PowerBraces
Clogged Gutters: RainDrop Gutter Guard
