Preventing Water Damage With Crawl Space Encapsulation - Kirkland, WA

The owner of this home called on John's after they noticed several inches of standing water in their crawl space. We sent a Design Specialist to their home for a Free Inspection! During this inspection, he found standing water, hanging insulation, rodent feces, and a very musty odor inside of the space. He approached the homeowner with his findings and offered him the most effective solution available - a full encapsulation. This would mean sealing the space entirely, preventing rodents and debris from entering, while also installing waterproofing capabilities, and maintaining a safe air quality at all times through the installation of a heavy-duty dehumidifier. The homeowner was grateful to have been offered such an effective solution, and was eager to get on our schedule.

When our crew of waterproofing experts arrived at his home, they began by removing all of the nasty debris from the crawl space, wiping the slate clean to install the encapsulation components. To begin, we placed a drain system within the crawl space to collect water and send it to the lowest point, here, our crew installed a SuperSump Pump, which will immediately remove all ground water intrusion away from the home via an underground discharge line. The installation of the pump will ensure that water never accumulates beneath the home - protecting the structural components of the subfloor and foundation from the devastating affects of water damage. Next, they laid down 2 layers of padding and sheeting, to cover the entire dirt floor. TerraBlock padding was laid down first, insulating the ground. Directly on top of the TerraBlock, as well as up onto the walls, we placed our 20 Mil CleanSpace vapor barrier, this prevents moisture from seeping in through the ground and walls. CleanSpace is bright white, and transforms crawl spaces into welcoming areas that can be safely used as dry storage. This durable vapor barrier is interlaced with carbon fibers, and comes with a 25 year warranty against rips and tears.  To maintain a healthy air quality, we than installed a SaniDry Sedona Dehumidifier. This machine cleans and removes moisture, allergens, and toxins from the air. It also boasts "hands-off" functionality, as it operates fully automatically to save homeowners time while offering peace of mind. The installation of a heavy-duty dehumidifier is important because 40% of the air inside of your home comes from your crawl space - meaning if you have rodent feces and mold in your crawl space, you are breathing remnants of those toxins inside of your home everyday. To protect the health of your loved ones, a clean, dry crawl space is absolutely essential. To insulate the foundation walls, our crew attached SilverGlo Panels, which are double-sided to offer waterproofing and superior insulation. SilverGlo Panels reflect heat, saving homeowners money on energy costs, while also helping to enable the Encapsulation components to run efficiently. To seal the entire exterior of the space, our crew covered all original vents, and ensured that the existing access door was capable of shutting entirely - leaving no gaps along the edges for rodents to enter through. With this crawl space now encapsulated, this homeowner and his family will be able to thrive in their home for many years to come, knowing that they're breathing healthy air, and the structural components beneath their home are protected from water damage.