Unprotected Crawl Space in Need of Transformation- Sandy, OR
Challenge
Year round, this crawl space was having humidity issues and musty smells. Due to the stack effect, that air comes in through the bottom and makes its way up through the top, filtering through the entire home throughout their living area. This caused the entire home to have a strong musty odor. During the rainy season, these homeowners noticed how strong all the odors had gotten and they started to grow concerned that the problem was worse than they thought. When water enters a crawl space and has nowhere to go, it becomes stagnant, and can cause issues such as mold and mildew, structural problems, high energy costs and worst of all, unhealthy air quality. After experiencing this for so long, and wanting to avoid further and more costly damage, they were ready to find a permanent solution.
Solution
We sent out one of our system design specialists and after a thorough inspection, our design specialist met with the homeowner to go over the findings and go over a plan that works best for them. After looking over the estimate, the homeowners scheduled their project. We started by removing all of the debris, vapor barrier, and fiberglass insulation. Due to all of the stagnant water, the moist environment created some areas with mold, so we treat it with our Mold-X2. This is our highly effective cleaner for contaminated surfaces such as wood. The mold stains are removed in 20 seconds. Next, we dig a trench around the interior perimeter of the crawl space in which we lay down a 3 inch perforated pipe into a silt sock. This will secure a safe passage for water to drain to the lowest point. Then at this low point, we install our TripleSafe Sump pump, which will collect the water that enters and will pump it outside of the house via discharge line. We also make sure to cover all of the vents to block outside air from entering. We then install our TerraBlock system on the dirt floor to create an insulated barrier between the home and the earth. This will block any moisture from making its way up. Directly on top of the TerraBlock, we install our CleanSpace system. This is anchored along the foundation walls up to the rim joists and is sealed at the footing of the wooden posts with our waterproof tape. We then want to make sure the environment is controlled, so we install our SaniDry Sedona. This effective dehumidifier will eliminate damp and musty odors by drying and filtering the air all while keeping the home at a healthy relative humidity. Lastly, we install our foam insulation. This is sprayed all along the foundation walls up to the rim joists. When sprayed, it expands and fills every crack and void which will guarantee and airtight seal- and will save the homeowners on energy costs. Now that this crawl space is fully encapsulated, the homeowner no longer has to worry about water entering their home or musty smells for years to come.
