Crawl Space Repair Photo Album: Beautiful Crawl Space Encapsulation - Lynnwood, WA

Crawl spaces that are not properly insulated and sealed, can cause cold floors inside of your home. This can be very uncomfortable for homeowners, while also increasing energy costs. These homeowners were fed up with cold floors and rising electrical bills, so they called on their leading local crawl space experts here at John's for help! Our receptionist made sure to get them on our schedule with a Design Specialist. When he arrived at the home, he greeted them, and then thoroughly inspected the crawl space. He found no evidence of water intrusion or damage, however, the subfloor fiberglass insulation was old and not providing adequate heat retention to the home. The family was also using the crawl space as a storage area, but with the space not being properly insulated or sealed, all stored belongings were in danger of rodent and mold damage. After his inspection, he explained his proposed an encapsulation. This would seal the space entirely, leaving a clean, dry area that could be used safely as storage, and would provide excellent insulation, saving the family up to 40% per year on heating costs. The homeowners were pleased with the benefits, so they signed their custom proposal, and we got them on our schedule. Our crew began by removing all of the old debris from the crawl space, leaving a blank canvas to install the materials. First, the dirt floor was covered with our TerraBlock ground insulation padding. This is a thick, durable pad that provides a sturdy, crawlable surface, while insulating the space. On top of the TerraBlock, as well as up onto the walls, they placed our 20 Mil CleanSpace vapor barrier, which is bright and white - transforming crawl spaces into welcoming, waterproof areas, that can be used for storage. CleanSpace is interlaced with carbon fibers, making it incredibly strong, and allowing it to come with a 25 year warranty against rips and tears. To ensure that no gaps are created, each pier inside of the crawl space is momentarily lifted, so that the CleanSpace can be slid underneath each one. This particular crawl space had no evidence of water intrusion, so this homeowner opted to have the encapsulation installed without drainage components. Because they opted to go without the drainage, our crew instead installed a SmartDrain inside of the space. The SmartDrain will set off a loud alarm if a plumbing leak occurs, alerting the homeowners to water in the space so that they can mediate damage. To seal the outside of the crawl space, our crew covered each vent with rigid plastic, preventing rodents and debris from entering. Ensuring good air quality inside of the space is crucial, so our crew also installed a dehumidifier. The final step in an encapsulation is the application of Spray Foam insulation onto the foundation walls. Spray Foam is sprayed on to fill every crevice and void, creating an air-tight seal. Spray Foam is highly effective, and will last for the life of the home. With their crawl space now professionally encapsulated by the experts here at John's, these homeowners will no longer experience cold floors and will enjoy a dramatic decrease in their heating costs.