Failing Fiberglass in Monroe, WA
Challenge
The air beneath the home was heavy and thick with the unmistakable smell of damp earth and decay. When the homeowners first looked into their crawl space, they weren't greeted by cozy insulation—they were met with a nightmare of structural neglect. Traditional fiberglass insulation had completely given up the fight. Decades of unmitigated moisture rising straight from below had turned the fiberglass into a heavy, soggy sponge. Unable to support its own weight under the moisture load, the insulation had ripped away from the overhead wooden floor joists, sagging and collapsing into a ruined, moldy heap all over the ground.
That moisture wasn't just ruining the material; it was silently wreaking havoc on the home itself. Trapped against the wooden framing, the dampness created a thriving ecosystem for mold and wood rot, threatening the structural integrity of the subfloor. Worse still, through the natural "stack effect," the air from that damp crawl space—laden with mold spores and musty odors—was being continuously pulled up into the living areas where the family breathed every day. Knowing they needed a permanent fix, the homeowners called in John's Waterproofing.
Solution
The transformation began with a thorough excavation of the disaster zone. The team carefully stripped away every last inch of the fallen, rotting fiberglass, clearing the space of the contamination source as well as the old vapor barrier. With the ruined insulation gone, they installed a drainage system and sump pump to collect and direct groundwater away from the homes foundation. Following this we layer TerraBlock and CleanSpace. TerraBlock is an insulation made for the crawl space. It is durable, and will not mold, mildew, or rot while resting beneath the home. CleanSpace than seals into the crawl space. Along the foundation walls we apply spray foam, another amazing insulation that is made to withstand the crawl space environment. With TerraBlock and Spray Foam working together, we successfully insulate this space along the ground and the walls, bringing the space into the homes envelope to help lower the homes heating and cooling costs in a sustainable way. Humidity control is put into place next through the installation of a SaniDry dehumidifier. This small but mighty machine is made to fit within the crawl space and keep the spaces relative humidity within a healthy range. With the system in place, the difference is night and day. The home's wooden joists are safeguarded against future rot, the indoor air quality upstairs is fresh and healthy, and the homeowners finally have total peace of mind knowing their crawl space is permanently protected by John's Waterproofing.
