Stagnant Water in the Crawl Space- Portland, OR
Challenge
This homeowner was experiencing high humidity in their home due to water in their crawl space. It was starting to cause musty and damp odors throughout the entire home. When water is has no where to properly drain, it becomes stagnant and attracts all types of issues that can cause detrimental damage to the home. High humidity promotes mold and mildew growth, causes wood rot, and attracts pests which leads to poor air quality that is moving up into the living space. The owner reached out to John's for a free visit and we sent out one of our system design specialists to performed a thorough inspection. When he was done, he met with the homeowner to go over the best option to permanently protect their crawl space. After learning about a full encapsulation and all of the benefits it has- they decided to move forward with the estimate and schedule their project.
Solution
We began this project by removing all of the debris, fiberglass insulation, and old vapor barrier. Due to all of the moisture that was in this crawl space, we found some spots with mold. To remove it, we use our Mold X-2, which is our highly effective cleaner for contaminated surfaces. Mold stains are removed in 20 seconds. Next, we dig a trench around the interior perimeter of the crawl space. In this perimeter trench, we place a 3 inch perforated pipe into a silt sock. This directs the collected water to the lowest point, where we install our TripleSafe Sump that will pump the collected water outside, away from the homes foundation. Following this, we install our TerraBlock system onto the dirt floor. This will provide an insulated barrier between the home and the earth, blocking any moisture from making its way up through the dirt floor. On top of the TerraBlock, between the posts and footing and anchored into the foundation walls up to the rim joists- we install CleanSpace. This is our heavy 20 mil thick liner that is manufactured in 7 layers, tear resistant and the white finish helps the homeowner easily see that the crawl space is free of mold, pests and dirt. We make sure to cover all of the vents to prevent outside air from entering. To keep the environment controlled, we then install our SaniDry Sedona. This effective dehumidifier will eliminate damp, musty odors by drying and filtering the air, all while keeping the space at a healthy relative humidity. Finally to finish, we install our foam insulation. This is sprayed onto the foundation walls up to the rim joists creating an airtight seal. Thanks to this full encapsulation, the indoor air quality will substantially improve, energy costs will lower and there will be no water intrusion.
