Trusted Waterproofing & Home Repair Company Serving Ferndale, WA

Water issues always seem to spring up on homeowners at the worst times. You could be going about your life and all of a sudden there is water flooding in your crawl space and causing mold to grow. Unfortunately, that was the case for this homeowner. They had no idea that water was intruding into the crawl space and causing all kinds of damage to the vapor barrier, insulation, and wooden posts. Wanting a solution that wouldn't cost a fortune, they reached out to John's Waterproofing about what options were available to them. We suggested the Pipe Pump Plastic method.

This system is great for controlling a high volume of water intrusion and getting immediate results. It involves installing a drainage system and a new vapor barrier that way water won't just continue flooding in and causing damage. It offers a safe passageway for water to flow through and be safely sent out of the crawl space. The first step to installing a drainage system is digging a trench along the interior perimeter. This is for a perforated pipe in a silt sock to collect any rising groundwater or water seeping through the walls. This pipe connects to a TripleSafe sump pump which is what actually takes the collected water and sends it out. This heavy duty system is designed with three different pumps to be able to control mass amounts of water at a time. The first two Zoeller pumps in the sump pump bin sit a little higher than each other in the case that water is filling in quickly, then they both can turn on at the same time to get it under control and push out of the crawl space. The third pump is actually a backup battery operated pump which in the case of a power outage then this pump will turn on. Finally, once the pipe and TripleSafe are installed, then we can install a new 6 mil vapor barrier to protect and isolate the space from water seeping through. It is anchored up the foundation walls and between the footing and wooden posts to protect against water damage and act as a guide to the drainage system. This system offers homeowners immediate results to protect against water intrusion until they are ready to fully encapsulate the space. 

After years of water seeping through into the crawl space, this homeowner decided it was time to take a look and see what was really going on beneath their home. As soon as they went down there, they noticed lots of standing water and even some water damage on some of the wooden posts. Wanting to get this resolved quickly, they reached out to John's Waterproofing about how they could prevent future water intrusions. 

Fully encapsulating the crawl space is the process of sealing the home off from the earth and keeping it dry. Any kind of water damage in the home can be very expensive to fix and it's important to control it. The first step of the encapsulation process is taking out any of the damaged insulation and vapor barrier because they can no longer serve their purpose of protecting the home. Then, we install a drainage system with a perforated pipe and a TripleSafe sump pump to control the passage of water. This way we are able to collect any water that tries to seep through into the space and it can be sent out and away from the homes foundation. After a drainage system is installed and there is control over water, then we can install TerraBlock. This is a thick insulation foam that seals the crawl space off from the earth. It is made of puncture resistant materials to ensure nothing is able to get through and into the space. Then, a CleanSpace vapor barrier is installed along the base, up the foundation walls, and between the footing and wooden posts. This isolates and protects the space against water damage due to it being a 20 mil thick liner made with woven fibers. It is backed by a 25 year warranty against rips or tears. A SaniDry dehumidifier is installed that pulls any moisture or particles out of the air and promotes cleaner air quality in the living spaces. The last step is applying Spray Foam along the foundation walls as a final air sealant and insulator. Once this entire encapsulation is installed, the homeowner can enjoy all the benefits of a dry and healthy home.

This homeowner discovered water was coming through their foundation wall into their basement level storage room. This problem occurs when a crawl space isn't properly waterproofed and insulated. It can lead to numerous other problems in the home like rotting wood, mold growth, and strange smells to draft into your home. They wanted to solve this issue before the water damage became beyond repair by reaching out to John's Waterproofing. We explained that the best way to prevent any more flooding and moisture damage would be by doing an encapsulation. 

An encapsulation starts by removing what had been damaged due to excessive water content. Then, they begin installing a drainage system. This is done by digging a trench along the interior perimeter of the crawl space and laying a perforated pipe that connects to a TripleSafe sump pump. This allows a passageway for water and sends it to the sump pump to be safely pushed away from the homes foundation. SliverGlo is applied along the foundation walls to properly insulating the space and paired with a 3/4 in. insulation foam, TerraBlock, along the base of the crawl space. On top of the insulation foam, CleanSpace is installed. This is a thick vapor barrier that works to help control the environment and isolate the wooden posts from water. A SaniDry dehumidifier is installed that pulls the moisture out of the air and controls humidity levels. Now this homeowner is pleased with a dry and secure home. With their crawl spaces water issue addressed, water will no long push against the foundation wall, and their storage room can remain dry. 

When a home has a tall crawl space with easy access it can be a wonderful space to use for storage. This home did just as much, using their crawl space for holiday storage as well as for a few items that need long term storage. However, when popping under their home this year, they found puddles of water were over the vapor barrier next to the storage items. While using plastic bins for storage already, they were concerned about what the long term effects would be on their health as well as if humidity issues could come into place under here. So to know the space was protected, they called up John's Waterproofing and scheduled their free inspection so they could find a solution. In the end they landed on the full encapsulation, enjoying how it sets the space up to remain dry and healthy and the bonus that the vapor barrier is so much more durable. 

To begin we cleared the space out from the old vapor barrier to the debris that was present. We then installed a drain system with an UltraSump Plus, these will work together to collect and pump water away from the homes foundation. TerraBlock insulation was then laid throughout the space, and each vent was sealed shut. Next came our CleanSpace vapor barrier. This material is 20 Mil thick and comes with a fiber woven through it, adding to its durability. This product has a 25 year warranty against rips and tears, making it a wonderful option for spaces that are getting maneuvered through. We then air sealed along the walls and installed a SaniDry dehumidifier to keep the spaces moisture in the air controlled. Now the area is a dry and healthy space for not only the storage items, but for the family above as well.