Completely Flooded Home in Columbia, SC Saved

Challenge

During the historic October floods, Maurice D.'s home was hit with more than fifty inches of water, which completely flooded his entire home.  After many months of pumping out the water, trying to dry out the area, and receiving funding through FEMA, Maurice was finally able to call Cantey Foundation Specialists for a free estimate.  System Design Specialist Luke Stemple was the first on the scene, and it was one of the worst flooded houses he had seen so far.  The dirt around the southern foundation wall was completely eroded all the way to the foundation footers.  There were gaping holes underneath the concrete driveway and portions of his garage.  All grass and living plants had died and washed away with the flood water leaving the home in a lot filled with mud.  Cantey knew this was going to be a large project, so nearly every team member spent time helping Maurice's home to finish the job in a timely manner.  Customer Maurice D. and his family had been living outside of their home for six months, and time was an important issue, along with safety.

Solution

Production Crew Foreman Sixto Lopez and his crew began by ensuring the stabilization and safety of the home's foundation.  Fourteen Helical Piers were pushed around the whole perimeter of the home.  This lifted and stabilized the foundation permanently so that any future rains would not allow the house to settle back into the soil again.  Then, Foreman Sixto and his crew replaced whichever cinder blocks were completely eroded or missing in the south and east foundation walls.  Next, loads of dirt were brought in and spread throughout the lot.  Not only did this help with the aesthetics, but it was also correctly graded so that rainfall would flow away from the house.  Now, customer Maurice D. and his family can safely move back into their home and get back to normal life!

Project Summary

System Design Specialist: Luke Stemple

Production Crew Foreman: Sixto Lopez