John's Waterproofing Case Studies: Building a Home and Crawlspace Gathers Water in Camas, WA
Challenge
As this home was getting built, the homeowners had thought they were high enough to overlook waterproofing. So the foundation was poured, the structure of the home was built, and the dirt was filled in around the home. However, an unexpected burst of rain came through, and the crawlspace ended up having puddles emerge through the dirt floor. To try to keep water from reaching the new wooden beams, the contractors laid out some 6 Mil plastic but knew this didn't provide a long-term solution. Before the first floor was fully finished and the crawlspace was out of sight, out of mind, the homeowners decided to encapsulate the crawlspace.
Solution
Our crew arrived began by clearing out the temporary barrier, as well as the fiberglass insulation that had just been started getting installed. We then installed a TripleSafe Sump pump to collect groundwater and push it out and away from the home via a LawnScape outlet. We then laid down TerraBlock Crawlspace Insulation over the floor. Over this, we installed our CleanSpace vapor barrier. This 20 Mil thick barrier comes with a 25-year warranty against rips and tears, we seal this around each wooden post and anchor it along each wall. The foundation walls were then insulated and air sealed with Spray Foam. We then installed vent covers and a SaniDry dehumidifier to ensure this new home would be protected.
