Saving a Century-Old House & Restoring It’s Foundation in Madison, MO

The Challenge: A Historic Home on a Failing Foundation

Anne R. was restoring a beautiful century-old house when she discovered serious structural and water issues. Built long before modern building codes, the home had several hidden problems:

Rotating basement walls — The walls were not just bowing inward but actually rotating, indicating poor support from the top and bottom.
Unconventional and outdated framing — The basement framing didn’t meet today’s standards, requiring careful engineering evaluation.
Water leaking into the basement — No concrete floor — just paver stones over dirt. Water seeped in around the perimeter and pooled near mechanical equipment.
Patchwork crawl space foundation — Parts were old stone or makeshift concrete blocks; a large front porch hid much of the foundation.
Settled front foundation — The front of the house had noticeable settlement, which would affect any new construction (like a deck).
Major surprise during work — One side wall had no footing at all and collapsed during excavation. It had been held up mostly by luck for decades.

These issues threatened the entire restoration project and the long-term safety of the home.

Our Solution: Customized Foundation Repair & Waterproofing

Spartan Ram Jack Columbia designed and executed a comprehensive repair plan tailored to the home’s age and unique conditions:

1. Basement Wall Stabilization

Installed 15 steel basement wall reinforcement beams.
Spaced closer than normal for extra caution due to the old framing.
Connected beams properly to the floor joists after opening cavities and checking utilities.

2. Deep Foundation Support with Helical Piers

Installed 17 helical piers total (7 initial + 10 additional for the front).
Used helical piers (instead of driven piles) to gently stabilize without stressing the old structure.
Piers driven to ~28 feet deep to reach solid load-bearing soil.
Stabilized the settled front wall so a new deck could be safely built.

3. Basement Waterproofing & Drainage

Removed paver stones and trenched 80 linear feet around the perimeter.
Installed a custom interior perimeter drain system with perforated pipe, gravel, and filter fabric.
Added a high-capacity cast iron sump pump (2,500 gallons per hour) with battery backup.
Buried the discharge line 10 feet out to a catch basin to direct water away permanently.
Installed 14-mil reinforced vapor barrier on all basement walls to stop moisture and improve air quality.

4. Unexpected Discovery & Extra Care

Rebuilt the collapsed side wall (with no footing) at no additional charge to prevent future catastrophe.

The Results

The home’s foundation is now stable and secure for decades to come.
Basement is dry, clean, and protected — ideal for mechanical equipment.
Anne can confidently continue her historic restoration.
Front foundation stabilized for new deck construction.
All work backed by strong warranties (lifetime on drainage, life-of-structure on piers, 25 years on beams).

Customer Outcome:

Anne went from worrying about a collapsing foundation during her dream restoration to having a solid, dry, and stable home she can be proud of.

Why This Matters for Old Homes in Mid-Missouri

Homes built before 1950 often hide surprises like shallow or missing footings, patchwork repairs, and inadequate drainage. Professional evaluation and flexible solutions are essential.

Thinking about foundation issues in your older home? Don’t wait until small problems become major (and expensive) ones. Contact Spartan Ram Jack Columbia today for a free inspection.