Your Trusted Home Services Provider in Langley Area

This homeowner started noticing heightened energy bills over the past few months. They were keeping the heating systems on longer to help improve their always cold floors. When nothing seemed to help, they decided to go into their crawl space and see the condition of the insulation. To their surprise, there was virtually no fiberglass insulation attached to the sub-floor and it had all sagged down to the vapor barrier. Knowing this is a job for a professional, they reached out to John's Waterproofing. 

At John's Waterproofing, one system we offer to help resolve moisture issues is encapsulation. Encapsulation is the process of sealing off the crawl space and regulating its environment. To begin, we install a proper drainage system using a perforated pipe and a sump pump. These work together to ensure any water that tries to seep through will have a safe passageway to exit. This will help with the moisture issues that were damaging the insulation because as water seeps in and evaporates into the air, that is how it gets absorbed by the homes materials. Then, TerraBlock is installed along the crawl space floor. This is a thick insulation foam that helps seal the crawl space from the earth beneath to regulate the temperature. A CleanSpace vapor barrier is installed on top of the TerraBlock, up the foundation walls, and between the footing and wooden posts to isolate and protect against future water damage. One of the most important steps is installing the SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier. This machine actually filters the air by pulling excess moisture particles out. It keeps the relative humidity at around 55% year round to prevent mold and mildew growth. The last step will be applying Spray Foam along the foundation walls as a final air sealant and insulator. Once the encapsulation is installed, this homeowner will be able to enjoy all the benefits of an encapsulated crawl space, including keeping the floors insulated. 

After dealing with an insect issue in the crawl space, this homeowner knew they would need professional help. The crawl space had an old vapor barrier that was a mess, and the wooden posts and one of the beams were needing to be replaced. To get their home addressed fully, they called upon John's Waterproofing. We scheduled their free inspection and sent out a design specialist. After crawling through the entire space and inspecting the exterior of the home, a solution was decided upon with the owners. 

To begin we pulled out the old 6 Mil vapor barrier and all the debris that had collected over it. We then had to make the space safe. We replaced the damaged wooden beam with a steel beam, this was than supported with SmartJacks. These metal posts can be adjusted to fit the space perfectly. They will not mold or rot, giving the homeowner peace of mind while they move around in the living space. Next we encapsulated the space. This involves a full drain system, sump pump, and sealing off the old vents. TerraBlock insulation is laid over the dirt floor and CleanSpace installed. By sealing the crawl space off from exterior elements we can control the climate in here, making it healthy and uninviting for critters in the future. We then installed a SaniDry dehumidifier and applied spray foam along the foundation walls to complete the job. 

This new home was built on the hillside and already was dealing with a lot of standing water in their crawl space, especially in the Winter months. They had dug some trench's in the crawl space to channel the water to a low spot and put a manual pump here. They would then have to go under their home every week to manually pump the water out of the space. They knew a better solution had to exist and wanted to ensure it was done the right way, so they called up John's Waterproofing. After a full inspection we recommended a full encapsulation, going over the benefits and applicable warranties. 

To begin on this job we pulled out the old vapor barrier and dried the space out. Once ready for us to work, we then installed a full drainage system. This consists of laying a perforated pipe in a silt sock around the interior perimeter so groundwater can make its way to the lowest point. From here water goes into the new TripleSafe sump pump and is sent safely away from the homes foundation. Each vent was then sealed shut. We laid TerraBlock insulation along the dirt floor and CleanSpace over that. The CleanSpace vapor barrier goes under each wooden post, attaches to the rim joist, and each seam is sealed shut. A SaniDry dehumidifier is installed and we finish with Spray Foam insulation along the foundation walls. This homeowner can now rest easy that their crawl space will remain dry and healthy all year round.