Crawl Space Repair Before & After Photos

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. 

This homes crawl space had the old fiberglass falling, and it smelled very musty. The owners of the home were concerned about the health risks that could be occurring by living with this kind of mess under their feet. To get assistance, they called up John's Waterproofing so they could learn about what they could do. This is how they learned about encapsulation. The owners were sold on this solution; energy savings, indoor air benefits, and overall health benefits for the homes longevity. We pulled out the old vapor barrier, fiberglass, and general debris. We then installed drainage, a sump pump, and insulated with TerraBlock and Spray Foam. We use a CleanSpace vapor barrier, and installed a SaniDry dehumidifier. Now this space is dry and healthy.

Keeping your crawl space dry and healthy is extremely important in order to maintain a healthy home. If water gets into the crawl space, this can result in atmospheres for mold to grow, wood to rot, and poor air quality to waft into the living spaces. In order to protect your crawl space, John's Waterproofing recommends getting them fully encapsulated. An encapsulation begins by removing the damaged vapor barrier and clearing out any debris. Once everything is removed, then we install a drainage system. This involves installing a perforated pipe along the interior perimeter of the crawl space so that it can collect water from the ground or walls that try to seep through. It offers a safe passageway for that water to be sent to a SuperSump Plus sump pump. The sump pump is what works to take all that collected water and securely pushes it out of the crawl space and away from the homes foundation. Once there is control of water, then we can install TerraBlock. This is a thick insulation foam designed to seal the earth off from the home and regulate the environment. On top of the TerraBlock, a CleanSpace vapor barrier is installed. This vapor barrier differs from code-regulated ones because it is 20 mil thick and backed by a 25 year warranty against rips and tears. We also install CleanSpace up the foundation walls and between the footing and wooden posts to isolate and protect from water damage. Once everything is sealed with waterproof tape, then we can install a SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier. This helps to filter any moisture or particles out of the air, thus promoting better air quality in the living spaces. The final step would be applying Spray Foam to the foundation walls as a final air sealant and insulator. Now, this encapsulation will protect the home against water intrusion so that it can stay dry and healthy for its occupants.

This homeowner had reached out to John's Waterproofing back in 2015 about getting their crawl space inspected. They noticed that during the rainy seasons water would seep inside the space and puddle. Because of this, the water would bring in dirt and debris from the outside and leave it behind on the vapor barrier as the water evaporated. We explained that a full encapsulation would prevent these water issues from continuing and they decided to wait and see if the issue resolved itself. Then, in 2025 the same homeowner reached back out saying that the water issues they were experiencing had only worsened and agreed to encapsulate the space. A full encapsulation is the process of sealing the crawl space off and controlling the environment to help prevent water intrusion, mold growth, and wood rot. It involves installing a drainage system with a TripleSafe sump pump, TerraBlock insulation foam, and a CleanSpace vapor barrier. Now, this beautiful crawl space is capable of keeping water out and the home healthy.