Crawl Space Repair Before & After Photos

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To start the project off, our Waterproofing team removed every last inch of debris, insulation, water, and outdated vapor barrier.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.

An improper sump pump sat in a bucket connected to a hose, attempting to siphon water out of the crawl space of a home in Yachats. Little did the homeowners know, the pump's inefficient operation was causing standing water to slowly fill the space. Not only that, but multiple crawl space exterior vents were below-grade, allowing water to pour in and let outside air contaminate the crawl space with inconsistent air temperatures. The concrete walls were stained and beginning to crack, and the existing vapor barrier wasn't fully attached, completely defeating its purpose of trapping moisture in the soil rather than letting it rise into the crawl space. Mold, rot, and condensation threatened. After noticing their heating and cooling bills were much higher than normal, the homeowners inspected their crawl space and urgently called John's Waterproofing to the rescue. During a free inspection, our team worked closely with the homeowners to create a plan and schedule the project. When the day came to restore the crawl space, our Waterproofing Experts quickly got to work, knowing they were about to change this family's home for the better. 

To prep the space, all of the old insulation, debris, damaged vapor barrier, and standing water were removed from the crawl space. Now the area was ready to go. The team first replaced the makeshift sump pump with a TripleSafe, the best sump system on the market. The TripleSafe features three pumps that provide maximum water discharge and reliable back-up for crawl spaces and basements exposed to higher amounts of water. Next, a Perf Pipe was installed in a trench dug along the interior perimeter, which collects any water from the soil and diverts it to the sump pump. Along the foundation walls, SilverGlo, a durable foam insulation, was installed. SilverGlo is an ideal choice for insulating crawl spaces because it is long-lasting, improves energy efficiency in the home, and won't absorb water. Then came our ultimate encapsulation duo: TerraBlock and CleanSpace. TerraBlock is a thick insulation sheet that is installed across the dirt floor to help the home maintain a more comfortable temperature. But the job isn't complete without topping it off with its sidekick, CleanSpace, a heavy-duty 20-mil vapor barrier that seals off the crawl space and helps prevent mold, moisture, rot, pests, and rodents. Next, a SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier was installed. This system automatically maintains a level of 55% humidity in the crawl space to keep the air in the home dry and healthy. To completely seal off the crawl space, vent covers were installed to block out outside air for good. What once was a weak little bucket and hose struggling to keep up was now a top-of-the-line sump pump, beautifully encapsulated and built to keep the home dry for years to come. The homeowners finally have peace of mind knowing their safety, and lower heating and cooling bills, is guaranteed.

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.