Dependable Lynnwood Waterproofing & Home Repair Contractor

This homeowner had water constantly leaking through their basement walls every time there was heavy rain. Wanting to find a long-term solution to keeping the water out all year, they reached out to John's Waterproofing. We suggested getting a basement waterproofing system installed so that the basement would be able to stay dry and healthy no matter what season it was. 

Basement waterproofing is the process of installing a drainage system and a wall vapor barrier so that any water that tries to enter can be redirected and sent out of the basement. But how can we do this? The first step is installing a drainage system using a WaterGuard drainage pipe. This is installed along the interior perimeter of the basement and acts as a safe passageway for water to flow through. It collects any water from the ground or from the walls and sends it to a TripleSafe sump pump. This three pump system is what actually takes all the collected water and pushes it out of the basement and away from the homes foundation. Each pump is placed at a higher position so that large volumes of water can be pushed out at a time. It also has a backup battery operated pump in the case of a power outage, so no matter what the basement will stay dry. After the drainage system is installed and there is control over the flow of water, then we install a wall system. Because this home deals with a lot of heavy rain, we installed a CleanSpace wall vapor barrier along the basement walls. This is a 20 mil thick liner made with woven fibers that help prevent any rips or tears. It is so durable that it is backed by a 25 year warranty against rips and tears. This keeps water from being able to seep through and just acts as a guide for any water or moisture to be sent down below to the drainage system. After this entire basement waterproof system is installed, the homeowner now has a long-term solution, preventing water from getting into their basement.

For some homeowners, it can be intimidating discovering that there is water in your crawl space and all the steps needed in order to solve the issue. Fortunately, at John's Waterproofing we try to accommodate every homeowner's situations and offer different options. In this circumstance, this homeowner had no idea that water had been seeping into their crawl space for a long time and had damaged numerous wooden posts and support beams that were under their home. They weren't expecting this outcome and wanted a solution just for the rotten wooden posts so that their home wouldn't begin the settling process. We informed them that installing SmartJacks could help with stabilizing their home until they were ready for a waterproofing system. 

Because wood is made of organic materials, it makes it the perfect surface to absorb water. Except, it is a bad, when this happens water breaks down the materials and causes the wood to rot and mold. Once the water has already been absorbed, there isn't a lot that can be done to repair the damage. Instead, at John's Waterproofing we install SmartJacks. These are steel adjustable piers that connect to the homes support beams to stabilize the home. They are made of materials that won't rot or mold so they can withstand any environment. This crawl space needed 14 SmartJacks and over 154 feet of support beams in order to give the home the support it needed due to the extreme water damage. Now, the homeowner can feel safe and comfortable in their home knowing it is properly supported until they are ready to resolve the water issue.  

Water in the crawl space is never a good sign. This homeowner had to experience that the hard way after discovering puddles of water filling their crawl space. Immediately unsure what to do, they contacted John's Waterproofing about their options of getting the water out. We suggested a full encapsulation as the best option to provide a long-term solution to stopping water from getting into the crawl space and risking structural damage.

When we do an encapsulation the first thing we need to do is ensure we can install a drainage system. Drainage of one of the most important steps in an encapsulation process because it provides a safe passageway for water to flow through and be pushed away from the homes foundation. We do this by digging a trench around the interior perimeter of the crawl space and laying a perforated pipe in it. This pipe has holes in it to collect water and, through gravity, can direct it to the sump pump. The TripleSafe sump pump is connected to this pipe and it is a three-pump system that can push water away from the homes foundation. Then we install a insulation foam. TerraBlock is a 3/4 in. thick foam that is puncture-resistant. It is designed to help control the environment and insulate. A CleanSpace vapor barrier is installed on top of the TerraBlock and between the concrete footing and wooden posts. This is to isolate the wooden posts and protect them from getting water damaged. To air seal and insulate, Spray Foam is applied along the foundation walls. Lastly, a SaniDry dehumidifier is installed that works to pull moisture out of the air and control the atmosphere. Once the encapsulation process is completed, then the homeowner no longer has to worry about water getting into their crawl space and causing structural damage to their home.

This homeowner reached out to John's Waterproofing after discovering their crawl space wasn't in good condition. They wanted information on how they could protect their home all while staying within a budget. At John's Waterproofing we like to give homeowners options on how they can protect their homes against moisture and what they feel comfortable with. We suggested that a Pipe Pump Plastic method would best benefit their crawl space if they didn't want to fully commit to an encapsulation yet. They thought it was the perfect solution that way drainage could be installed and could start protecting their home against water.

The Pipe Pump Plastic method begins by installing drainage along the interior perimeter of the crawl space. We dig a trench and lay a perforated pipe in a silt sock. This pipe acts as a safe passageway to guide water out of the crawl space and prevent any flooding. This pipe connects to our TripleSafe sump pump. This three-pump system is capable of collecting gallons of water and safely pushes it out and away from the homes foundation. It is able to run constantly and independently so that the homeowner doesn't have to worry about it at all. After the drainage system is installed, now we need to add a layer of protection against moisture from seeping up into the crawl space. This is why we install a 6 mil vapor barrier along the base of the crawl space. It is also anchored up the foundation walls to guide moisture from the walls down to the drainage system to be pushed away from the home. Once this process is completed, the crawl space now has a system set up to protect against groundwater and prevent flooding.