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Hydroflo

Michigan Company Expects Increase
In Ram Jack Aspect of Business

Often when homeowners have foundation troubles, they're quick to notice the aesthetic changes — the cracked wall, the gap in the bricks, or the sloping floor. But Hydroflo owner Jim Nash vividly recalls one instance in which the homeowner was relieved to have his foundation repaired for another reason.

"His reaction was relief and happiness," said Nash. "He said something I had never thought of. He said, 'Now my bathtub will drain.'"

Whether it begins as a cracked ceiling, a door that gets jammed, or a sagging brick line, residents in the Michigan, Eastern Peninsula, and Northern Indiana areas often turn to Hydroflo to fix their foundations and waterproof and repair their basements.

Based in Wyoming, Michigan, about 30 miles off the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, Hydroflo offers waterproofing, wall replacement, and Ram Jack services.

While waterproofing — often performed in the wake of damp spots, mold or mildew, peeling paint, or eyeing rust on the walls — has historically been the mainstay of the business, Ram Jack foundation repair services are gaining ground.

"We're approaching about 30 percent, maybe even closer to 35 percent," said Nash, explaining how much of the business is Ram Jack-related.

When using the Ram Jack system, the company specialists first drive quality high carbon steel piles through the unstable soil and rock below the foundation to firm-bearing strata, which act as a new, stable foundation. After load testing each individual piling, the Ram Jack system is applied, carefully raising the home's structure until it reaches its original stature and stability.

Ram Jack is a family-owned business that began in 1968 in Ada, Oklahoma. Foundation repair back then typically involved concrete piering systems, which proved to be short-term. So the owners ultimately developed a repair system that involves a more reliable and longer lasting fix — a system involving hydraulically deep-driven steel piers. In 1985 the first patent of the Ram Jack system was issued.

The company, which has a dealership network that spans the country, has installed more than 70,000 piers on more than 6,500 residential and commercial buildings.

Engineering reports estimate the steel in the ground has a life expectancy of 50 to 100 years, the company says.

Nash purchased the 27-year-old Hydro company last year after years of owning businesses in a variety of industries, including construction, industrial, and excavation.

"I'm a firm believer in knowing that a trade is different than running a business," he said.

His key strategy so far is surrounding himself with skilled professionals, many of whom have been working for the company for decades.

"I rely on their expertise. Plus I'm an extremely quick study," he says.

Looking ahead, Nash says he expects the backbone of the business to steer more toward the Ram Jack portion in the coming years, saying Ram Jack has a strong reputation in the marketplace and steel piering as a foundation solution is becoming more accepted. He estimates that close to 98 percent of the calls the company receives are from residential clients, although he says the company is equipped to handle larger commercial structures and apartment buildings.

One of the factors that contributes to foundation problems is the dryness that exists in Michigan.

"In a dry year the foundation starts moving," he says, saying blue clay is a key culprit in the region.

The blue clay expansive soils will swell and heave when wet and contract and consolidate when dry. If the foundation system is in the active zone (a shallow foundation), the foundation will move as moisture conditions change in the active zone.

As clayey soils draw water to themselves, they also grow in volume (swell or heave) causing your foundation to move. Drying outside your foundation reverses the process. The moist soils will lose volume (shrink) as soil moisture moves out from under your foundation causing the foundation to settle. Shrinking and swelling soil motions can lead to damaging your foundation and structure. Uniform changes in soil moisture are less damaging to your structure than localized changes.

Meanwhile, the ages of houses that require foundation repair run the gamut, Nash says.

"It's all over the board, but I'd say most of the homes are in the 25-to-40-year-old range," he says. "On the other hand, we've done homes that are less than a dozen years old."

Often it's those telltale signs that prompts the Hydroflo phones to ring — the cracks in the drywall, the sticking door, cracks in the bricks.

"It's usually the cosmetic things," he says. "Some people say they actually start hearing things — they hear the settling. But usually it's the cosmetic issues that manifest themselves."

In the case of the homeowner who was happy to be able to once again drain his tub, Nash says 19 piers were used on his tri-level home. The back half of the house was on a shallow foundation and the front part was on a full basement.

"It was dry last summer and some minor cracks appeared," Nash says. "By the time we came in there was a two-and-a-half-inch gap in the brick veneer of the roof line."

The homeowner was a happy camper — especially excited about being able to drain his tub again.

And that, Nash says, demonstrates that foundation problems not only lead to cosmetic issues, but also structural difficulties, like plumbing.

Hydrofloalso receives a lot of calls when homeowners are getting ready to sell their houses. They know the foundation issue will come up as prospective buyers see the symptoms or a home inspector finds signs of foundation damage.

Hydroflo has more than 50 full-time employees and is a member of the National Association of Waterproofing and Structural Repair Contractors, an organization founded to "maintain high standards" within the waterproofing and basement structure repair industry. Hydroflo also has NAWSRC-certified contractors on staff.

The company, Nash says, draws most of its business from referrals, depending on the reputation that has been established in nearly three decades.

But clients find Hydroflo through other means, too.

"More people are starting to research on the computer," he says. "I definitely see our Ram Jack business increasing."

Hydroflo System
Corporate Headquarters
3729 Linden SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49548
1-800-748-0500
www.hydroflo.com

Michele Dawson writes each week on one of the contractor members of The Concrete Network (www.concretenetwork.com). She has written about the home building industry for several years and was on the public affairs staff of the California Building Industry Association.