Crawl Space in Terrible Condition- Portland, OR
Challenge
This homeowner noticed to a strong damp and musty odor that would become stronger especially during the rainy season and wanted to find the source so they went down to their crawl space to take a look and they were overwhelmed with the condition of it. There was clear evidence of water intrusion. Moisture creates high levels of humidity leading to wood rot and the perfect environment for mold and rodents to thrive. This crawl space's vents were open, with visible harsh water stains from years of letting in water and since there was no drainage system, water entered and evaporated and over the years of this same cycle it, it damaged the vapor barrier, soaked through the wooden posts which lead to sagging floors in the living area. These high levels of humidity caused the fiberglass insulation to sag and fall on the ground. Rodents then would use this material to nest, creating further issues for these homeowners. Not only do these issues affect the air quality of the home, but a neglected crawl space lowers property value, raises energy bills and is over all damaging to the entire structural integrity of the home. Knowing they needed a long-term permanent solution, they called us up and scheduled their free visit.
Solution
To address these issues, we install a full encapsulation. First in this process we remove all of the debris, damaged vapor barrier and fiberglass insulation. Then, since there is mold present, we resolve this with our soda blasting method which uses compressed air to spray sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) onto contaminated surfaces to physically strip away mold. Now that the mold is addressed, we remove all of the wooden posts that had significant wood rot or water damage and replace them with our SmartJacks which are our high capacity adjustable supplemental steel piers designed to stop settling and raise the floor back up to a stable position. We then dig a trench around the perimeter of the of the crawl space and in this trench we install a 3 inch perforated pipe into a silt sock to create a secure passage for water to properly drain to the low point. At this low point we install our TripleSafe Sump which will collect all of the water that enters and will pump it outside of the home, away from the foundation through a discharge line. We make sure that we cover up and seal all of the vents in this crawl space, ensuring no outside air enters. On the dirt floor we install our TerraBlock material that will act as an insulated barrier between the home and the earth blocking moisture from making its way up. Next, over top of the TerraBlock system, and anchored into the foundation walls up to the rim joists goes our 20 mil thick material, CleanSpace. This is also placed between each post and footing and sealed properly with our heavy duty CleanSpace tape. To keep the environment controlled we install our SaniDry Sedona. This effective dehumidifier will eliminate damp and musty odors by drying and filtering the space, leading to improved air quality in the home and a stable healthy relative humidity. Lastly, to finish this project, we install our foam insulation. This product is sprayed onto the foundation walls and will expand, guaranteeing an air tight seal. This full encapsulation is going to protect this home from water intrusion and remain dry, stable and healthy for years to come.
