Serving Eugene, Greater Portland, Vancouver, Everett, Bellingham, and Nearby Areas
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Spray foam insulation is one of the best decisions a homeowner can make for their home. Not only does it help with keeping a home comfortable and dry, but it will help save money on energy bills. Spray foam is simply the most cost effective way to improve the homes energy efficiency. The install process allows the foam to be sprayed into every crack and void that is usually missed with traditional fiberglass insulation, increasing effectiveness and performance. These homeowners were noticing a rise in their energy bills and reached out to John's in hopes of helping lower costs and upgrading their crawl space. After our system design specialist went out to perform a free inspection, he met with the homeowners to go over options and they moved forward with the proposed repair plan. To start this project, we removed all the debris, old fiberglass insulation, and damaged vapor barrier. Due to the warmer atmosphere of the area, this home did not experience ground water issues, but more humidity issues that occurred during the warm summer, so the home did not need drainage. We install our TerraBlock system, which goes directly on the dirt floor to create an insulated barrier between the home and the earth. On top of the TerraBlock, we install our CleanSpace vapor barrier. This goes all along the foundation walls, up to the rim joist and is sealed with our waterproof tape at the footing of the wooden posts. In this process, we cover all of the vents to make sure no outside air enters. To control the environment, we then install our SaniDry Sedona. This effective dehumidifier will eliminate damp, musty odors by drying and filtering the air. It will also keep the environment at a healthy relative humidity. Lastly, we install our foam insulation. This is sprayed all along the foundation walls, up to the rim joists, ensuring a complete airtight seal. With this crawl space fully sealed and protected with our encapsulation, these homeowners will see their energy costs lower.
Being able to add more usable space to your home is important. One way to do that is by waterproofing and finishing the basement. This homeowners finished basement had not been waterproofed, so they experienced water intrusion every time there was heavy rainfall and could no longer use their basement. They reached out to John's Waterproofing about fixing the issue before another rainy season. The basement waterproofing process involves installing a drainage system using WaterGuard and a SuperSump Plus sump pump. These two work together to collect any water that tries to seep through and can safely push it out and away from the homes foundation. Once the drainage system is installed, it is completely covered with concrete to offer the homeowner a discreet look. To protect the walls, we install ThermalDry. This is a heat and vapor barrier that help to guide moisture down below to the drainage system, while also helping to keep heat in the room. After the basement has been waterproofed, then we can finish the walls with drywall. Now, this homeowner gets to enjoy their basement all year round knowing that it will stay dry and healthy.
The only thing missing was a paddle board; the crawl space of this Veneta home had turned into a lake of its own. Shortly after moving into their brand-new house, the homeowners were met with disastrous news. An electrician, who came in to do some work, discovered a catastrophe lurking beneath the home. Three inches of standing water covered almost the entirety of the crawl space. Knowing very little about crawl spaces, the homeowners reached out to John's Waterproofing for a helping hand. Our team arrived to investigate the scene and quickly found the source of the problem. The absence of a sump pump had caused a detrimental crisis for the new homeowners. With no way to escape, groundwater continued to collect as time went on, mold began to spread throughout, and the open exterior vents allowed unwanted moisture and air to enter the crawl space. The homeowners once felt excited for their fresh start, now feared for their safety. Without a doubt, John's Waterproofing was determined to give the homeowners a dry, healthy, and safe place to live.
To start the project off, our Waterproofing team removed every last inch of debris, insulation, water, and outdated vapor barrier. We then performed soda-blasting, a method in which baking soda is sprayed onto any existing or potential mold growth using high-pressure compressed air. Once the mold was neutralized and eliminated, a trench was dug along the perimeter of the crawl space, and a Perf Pipe was placed. The Perf Pipe, wrapped in a silt sock to prevent dirt from entering, led to the installation of a TripleSafe sump pump in the lowest spot of the crawl space. The homeowners went with a TripleSafe sump pump as it delivers the most efficient and reliable defense against water intrusion. The TripleSafe features 3 pumps, whereas regular sump pumps only have one. This ensures a strong backup if water were ever to exceed the pump's limit. The sump pump system was attached to the home's previous drainage line and redirected water back outside of the home's foundation. Next, it was time to fully encapsulate the crawl space. With the installation of TerraBlock across the dirt floor, a thick and durable vapor barrier, we were able to make sure moisture stays out. On top, our CleanSpace vapor barrier sealed the deal with extra protection and created a clean, finished look to the crawl space. Now that any liquid water would be removed efficiently, we had to take care of any potential odors, humidity, and moisture. A SaniDry Sedona was set in place, a small but mighty dehumidifier system perfect for any crawl space. The SaniDry Sedona is set to keep your home below 55% humidity. If that percentage were to increase, it would automatically activate to make sure the home stays dry and safe. We didn't forget about those pesky exterior vents; the team installed plastic vent covers to prevent uncontrolled air from slipping in. Last but not least, SprayFoam insulation was the final step of the full encapsulation. Unwanted moisture and air are kept away with SprayFoam, as it fills every single crack in the crawl space walls. It creates a barrier to protect against moisture and outside air, improving energy efficiency and helping maintain a desired temperature in the home year-round. With the crawl space finally dry, the homeowners can now fully take in the beauty and safety of their new home, and save lake days for the ones in the great outdoors!
The wooden posts in the crawl space are designed to provide support to the floors of the home. Without the wooden posts in the best condition, this can cause homes to settle and the floors to sag. Once the structural damage occurs, this is when homeowners tend to notice that the doors won't shut properly and the foundation can collapse. For this homeowner, they started noticing those structural issues in their home with slants along their floors and wanted John's Waterproofing to come and level out the posts. Upon inspection, we found that they had experienced a lot of water damage, which was causing them to rot and mold. The discoloration and pattern distortion are indicators on the posts where water absorbed into. The white marks at the base of the post is also known as efflorescence. This is a salt mineral deposit that gets left behind on posts or walls after water seeps through. In order to fix this issue, we informed the homeowner about SmartJacks. These are steel adjustable piers that help to stabilize the homes foundation where it is needed. They can re-level the floors and offer proper support to prevent settling. With the new SmartJacks installed, this homeowner feels safer knowing their home is protected.
This crawl space was causing a multitude of issues for this homeowner, such as uneven cold floors, water intrusion, and rodent activity. They wanted a permanent solution to these problems so they called John's Waterproofing. We had one of our system design specialists go out to give a free inspection and estimate. Once the design specialist was done, he met with the homeowner and they discussed the findings of the inspection and found that an encapsulation would be the best solution. An encapsulation is the process of sealing the home from the earth. To start this project, our team goes in and removes all the debris. Our team then does a dig out to even the crawl space floor. After, our SmartJacks are installed, they are our high-capacity adjustable supplemental steel piers designed to stop settling and evenly raise the floor back up to where it was. The next step is to dig a trench around the interior perimeter of the crawl space to then lay down a 3 inch perforated pipe into a silt sock and this secures a safe passage to drain water to our TripleSafe sump pump at the lowest point. Our TerraBlock is then installed directly on the crawl space floor which creates an insulated barrier between the earth and the home. Then, our CleanSpace system is installed on top of the TerraBlock and up the foundation walls. All the vents in the crawlspace are sealed shut to prevent outside air from getting in. Our EverLast Door is also installed, which is an above grade door that will allow exterior access to the crawl space, and is reliable in all weather conditions. Next our EverLast Access Well is installed, it is big enough for someone to crouch down and enter the crawl space, and it is durable enough to hold back soil and will last for many years without rusting, rotting, or needing paint. Controlling the environment is next, our SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier is installed and this will help to pull out moisture and will filter and dry the air. The last step is to spray foam insulation in multiple layers, along the foundation walls, up to the rim joists and this will ensure an air tight seal to finish this encapsulation.
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