High Humidity in the Crawl Space- Depoe Bay, OR
Challenge
This homes living area was very humid, especially during the warmer months. Air enters from the bottom of a home, in the crawl space, and filters up into the living area, all the way up into the attic. This is called the Stack Effect. So, if a crawl space is filled with water, humidity, dirt and rodents, this reflects in the air quality of the entire home. These homeowners were sick of smelling musty odors in their home and wanted to find a solution that would permanently solve this issue. They called John's and set up their free inspection.
Solution
When our system design specialist was in the crawl space, he found evidence of water intrusion, dead and living rodents and a lot of fallen insulation. He met with the homeowner to discuss how to transform their crawl space from nasty, dark and humid to dry, clean and healthy. The homeowners were eager to begin, so they went ahead with the project. We start by removing all of the debris, fiberglass insulation, and vapor barrier. Due to the humid environment causing a lot of moisture, some of the wooden posts were not offering stable support anymore and causing parts of the homes floor to sag. To help with this problem, we installed our SmartJack system. These are our high-capacity adjustable supplemental steel piers designed to stop settling and raise the floor back. We then dig a trench around the interior perimeter of the crawl space to then lay down a 3 inch perforated pipe into a silt sock. This secures a safe passage for water to drain to a TripleSafe sump pump at the lowest point. We connect this sump pump to a discharge line outside, and this pumps the water away from the homes foundation. Next, we install our TerraBlock system which goes on the dirt floor of the crawl space creating an insulated barrier between the home and the earth. On top of our TerraBlock, along the foundation walls, and up the rim joists we install our CleanSpace system. This 20 mil-thick-liner is then taped to the footing of the wooden posts with our waterproof tape, preventing water from penetrating the porous footing and causing wood rot. All the vents are then covered to make sure no outside air enters. Since humidity is their main concern, we install our SaniDry Sedona Dehumidifier to control the environment. This will help eliminate damp musty odors by drying and filtering the air as well as keep the home at a healthy relative humidity. Lastly, we install our foam insulation. This is sprayed along the foundation walls, up to the rim joists, filling every crack and void to ensure a complete airtight seal. Not only does this guarantee protection from air leaks, water, and pest intrusion, but it saves money on energy costs. These homeowners can have peace of mind knowing their crawl space is now dry, clean and healthy.
