FSM/Groundworks

Foundation Systems of Michigan, now Groundworks.

Scope

  • Basement wall encapsulation
  • Crawlspace wall and floor encapsulation.
  • Support post/beam installation.

Rating

  • 4/5 overall experience, cannot recommend.

  • 5/5 for encapsulation.

  • 2/5 for sump pump and handling installation issues.

1. Crawlspace Encapsulation and Support Post Installation

No major issues to report.

2. Sump Pump / Drainage Install

The team installing the sump pump:

  1. Had no level to check for the slope of pipes or reinstalled conduits resulting in all pipes being at random angles.
  2. Suggested that power sockets are OK to be attached with a double sided tape to the wall (I was able to challenge that before the end of the works).
  3. Installed the discharge pipe sloped towards the house (so the water would not drain until reaching the high spot.
  4. Did not invite the city inspector before pouring concrete contrary to what the permit explicitly stated.
  5. Did not have enough dust extractor force (based on the filter state, it should have been replaced) causing the dust from the concrete cutting to settle all around the building

The inspector noticed that there is standing water, but did not flag this as an issue immediately. I started doing some work around the area and had to dig up near the pipe and found that it shoots up. Took a picture of the level showing the bubble near the house. Reached out to FSM, got a call back with a person stating that everything is in order, and claiming that the bubble of the level goes to the lowest spot. This took about 15 minutes to challenge.

I reached out to the city inspector, provided the photos and that got Groundworks to send the same team (still without a level) to fix the slope.

Images

This is considered as acceptable and finished work by Groundworks/FSM.

Inside View, notice how the PVC pipe from the right pump are angled.

Outside View. The openings were previously used for a gas-powered non-HE water heater.

Summary

If we’d done this again, we would:

  1. Ask that the teams having a regular bubble level is a prerequi
  2. Level the dirt in the crawlspace. FSM does not do that, and whatever the slope of the dirt is, that would be the angle of the floor.
  3. Be physically present to supervise the installation and the way receptacles and conduits are reattached.

But my overall take on this is that the team who installed the sump pump system just did not want to care, and whoever does the QA does not care as well.

So the piping will need to be redone by the homeowner.