Foundation First
Most of us have been there. The spring thunderstorms are over and you discover the basement flooded, or you move into your new home only to find there’s mold in the crawl space.
Maybe cracks are beginning to show in the foundation of the home or there’s simply this humid, musty smell in the basement.
All of these are signs and symptoms of what could end up being a much larger problem down the road, and the sooner it’s dealt with, the better.
Jerry Yoder of Yoder Home Services could tell you all about it because he’s seen it time and time again. Yoder launched Yoder Home Services in 2015 when he became frustrated by some of the jobs he saw done for homeowners before he arrived.
With years of experience in construction and remodeling, Yoder would walk into a job and discover commonly known errors other companies left a homeowner to handle.
He wanted to fix that by offering customers peace of mind, knowing the job would be done once and correctly the first time.
Yoder began posting YouTube videos and sharing what customers need to know about basement waterproofing, mold remediation and other services.
Today, they offer crawl space encapsulation, seawall erosion control, foundation repair and replacement, dehumidifier installation and shotcrete too.
“The shotcrete process is a high-velocity concrete for projects ranging from foundation repair to building retention walls, including Michigan basements,” Yoder says. “We specialize in Michigan basement repair, often applied with shotcrete.”
Yoder has shared stories of homeowners tackling serious mold issues simply because the work previous companies had done was done incorrectly, causing more harm than good.
“[The customer] had another waterproofing company install a system for them which ended up being installed incorrectly and spread mold throughout the house. The wall drain was put up against the paneling instead of the foundation wall,” Yoder says.
The homeowner was stuck paying for the cleaning of some items and the replacement of many more.
“All of this could have been prevented if the system was installed correctly,” Yoder says. “We often see the easy fix. Another company might redirect water coming through the crack in the foundation and never fix the crack itself. We’ll stitch it back together to its original strength, and we want to stop the water, not just redirect it.”
The services Yoder Home Services offers are often those that homeowners don’t know they need until it’s too late.
“For example, a Michigan basement or Michigan shelf is the concrete holding back the dirt that keeps the foundation in place. When you start seeing cracks in the basement and a little bit of dirt coming through, it’s weakening that hold on your foundation,” Yoder says.
If not addressed, homeowners could end up with foundation damage.
“That’s where we come in. We’re able to remove some of that shelf, get the dirt compacted back in and shotcrete it back in place,” Yoder says.
Sometimes preparing for the worst is the better way to go.
Crawl space encapsulation, for instance, is sealing the entire crawl space from floor to side walls. By creating a moisture barrier, homeowners can keep water out and humidity at bay, preventing excess water vapor and moisture from causing mold, mildew and further damage.
Yoder shared another video about the importance of sealing off a crawl space to the home.
“Crawl spaces get lots of water and it causes foundation damage. We will put in a sump pump and dehumidifier and get everything sealed off,” Yoder says.
It’s important to Yoder that they use high-quality equipment as well, using dehumidifiers designed for the crawl space and sump pumps with a warranty and special silencer valve so homeowners don’t hear it kick on and off.
Though they are often repairing damage from the wear and tear of an older home or even an improper job that was done before them, Yoder Home Services likes to do proactive work too.
Overall, Yoder hopes homeowners will call when they notice an issue, no matter how small.
When you see the small crack in your foundation, for instance, the time to react is now rather than later. Over time the crack will leak, allow water into the home and cause damage. The faster you call, the less damage there will be.
The family-owned business has built a reputation for quality craftsmanship and reliability.
“Each job is customized to fit the customers’ needs. We’re not a one-stop shop that fixes everything the same way. We come in and fix the actual problem the first time,” Yoder says. “We’re helping families get the right solution for the right job.”
As one might expect, doing the job right the first time often saves money too.
“You don’t just throw a system in to divert water unless you have to. Most of the time, we’re addressing foundation cracks and a system isn’t necessary. We’ve saved customers thousands and thousands of dollars over the years,” Yoder says.
It’s uncommon for Yoder to see homeowners more than once unless they’ve purchased a new home that needs similar repairs. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We’ve fixed thousands of foundation cracks and we do it differently than any of our competitors. We stitch the foundation back to bring it to its original strength, and we’re able to stop the water from coming in. We’ve never had to go back to fix the job we did,” Yoder says. “We’re going to give it 100% every time.”
The Yoder Home Services team of 14 continues to grow with trained experts ready to help homeowners with their foundation repairs, encapsulations and so much more.
Visit yoderhomeservices.net for more information.
