Resources for homeowners

Home Owner Resources

Plain-language guides from VM Engineering for homeowners dealing with a wet basement, a cracked wall, or a foundation question — how the parts of a foundation work, what the warning signs mean, and what you can do first.

This information comes from our direct experience as professional engineers in southeastern Wisconsin.

Homeowner guides

  1. 3D model of a block foundation wall with a drain tile system and water flow arrowsInteractive 3D model

    How Water Gets Into a Basement: The Drain Tile System, Explained

    What a drain tile system is, seven common ways water gets into a basement, the warning signs, and the first steps to take — with a 3D model you can turn and explore.
  2. Drawings of a block wall bowing, tipping and shearing inwardCracks and wall movement

    Foundation Wall Movement and Settlement: What Homeowners Should Know

    The difference between a wall being pushed in and a house moving down, how to tell bowing, tipping and shearing apart, the signs of settlement, and when to call an engineer.

Written for education, not for diagnosis. If a foundation needs a number on it or a repair design, contact us — Vince Matarrese, PE or Cory Wotachek, PE, VM Engineering LTD.