Encapsulating the Crawl Space- Portland, OR
Challenge
This homeowner was having problems with water intrusion and mice entering their crawl space. Water intrusion can cause detrimental damage to the entire home in many different ways. If it's not dealt with in a timely manner it can lead to poor air quality, structural damage and high energy bills. A home with a dark, wet, and nasty crawl space is the perfect environment for mold, mildew and rodents to thrive. A crawl space with issues is an entire home issues. The homeowner reached out to John's Waterproofing to find a permanent solution.
Solution
We sent out one of our knowledgeable system design specialists to perform a free inspection and estimate. After inspecting the crawl space, the system design specialist met with the homeowner to discuss what the proper solution would be for this crawl space. They decided that an encapsulation would be the way to go. This project starts by having our team go into the crawl space and remove all the debris such as the old vapor barrier and damaged fiberglass insulation. Next, our team digs a trench around the interior perimeter of the crawl space to lay down a perforated pipe into a silt sock. This will secure a safe passage for water to drain to the SuperSump Plus pump at the lowest point. A discharge line is installed outside and away from the home to drain the water away from the foundation. This discharge line is connected to our LawnScape outlet, which has a removeable lid to easily clean out any dirt and debris that may enter. Our team also installs our EverLast Door, which will allow exterior access into the crawl space and adapts to all weather conditions. Our team then installs our TerraBlock insulation, which goes directly on the floor of the crawl space. This product creates a insulated barrier between the home and the earth. Our CleanSpace system is then installed on top of the TerraBlock, it goes on the foundation walls, up to the rim joists. All the vents in this crawl space are sealed shut to prevent outside air from getting in. To control the environment we install our SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier, this will eliminate musty odors by drying and filtering the air. This dehumidifier will keep the space below a relative humidity of 55%. Lastly, to finish this crawl space, we spray our foam insulation to ensure an air tight seal. This homeowner can now be worry free and sure their crawl space is safe from water intrusion and rodents.
