Signs of Water Issues in a Crawl Space - Washougal, WA
Challenge
Water damage can appear in many different forms, with varying degrees of intensity. By knowing what to look for, anyone can spot signs of a water issue within their crawl space. An obvious sign would be pooling water found over the old vapor barrier. Water damage can also occur as humidity that has been absorbed into fiberglass, this creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and leads to the fiberglass to droop and fall apart. It can also be darker spots along the foundation where condensation sits. Water issues can also been seen in mud or dirt caked onto the old vapor barrier. While no water is found in this, this is evidence that water has been carrying the dirt onto the barrier and then running off and drying.
Solution
The best solution to address all water issues is a full encapsulation. We pull out the old fiberglass insulation and the old vapor barrier. We then install a full drainage system. This will collect ground water and grade it to a low point where a sump pump is installed to send the water safely away from the foundation. We then insulate the dirt floor with TerraBlock insulation, and wrap the space with CleanSpace. This 20 Mil woven vapor barrier goes under each wooden post, is anchored up against the rim joist, and is sealed in place with our four inch wide waterproof tape. This will seal the space against water. Spray foam or SilverGlo insulation then is applied to the foundation walls and rim joists to air seal and insulate. As a final step we install a SaniDry Dehumidifier to keep humidity levels down so mold and mildew cannot grow here.
