Premier Home Improvement Contractor Serving Brownsville, OR

This large home had been built a few years back. Fiberglass insulation had been installed under the home to insulate the space. But the floors were cold to walk on in the Winter months, and the homes heating and cooling costs were rising faster than expected. The homeowners asked a few neighbors if is was normal for the energy bill to be so high, and they were told no. After doing some research, they discovered that fiberglass could be the issue. It absorbs moisture and once it isn't held against the underside of the home properly, it isn't doing its job. To have the space assessed and learn more about actual crawl space insulation solutions, an inspection was scheduled with John's Waterproofing. 

Once all of the homeowners questions had been answered about encapsulation, the homeowners were ready to move forward. We began by clearing the space out and removed all of the old fiberglass. A few mold spores had grabbed hold of the homes beams, these were spot treated. We then installed a full drainage system. This will collect groundwater and grade it to the lowest point where a TripleSafe sump pump sends the water away. Next the vents were sealed shut and TerraBlock insulation laid over the dirt. CleanSpace then wrapped through the space, going under each wooden post, anchoring along the walls, and sealed into place. A SaniDry dehumidifier was installed and Spray Foam applied to the foundation walls. Now this space is insulated with crawl space specific solutions that are made to last! 

While this home had a sump pump installed a while back, they didn't think it was working anymore. The home was smelling a bit damp and they hadn't heard the pump kick on in a while. Unable to get under the home themselves, they called up John's Waterproofing to inspect what was going on. During inspection we found the old pump here was rusted and had stopped working. It was a general hardware store pump that was very old. Water was stagnant on top of the old vapor barrier and it was very muddy. 

To get this crawl space back into a healthy dry environment we had a few things to do. To begin we pulled out the old vapor barrier and sump pump. The pump location was good so we installed our UltraSump Plus here. This will collect the groundwater and pump it safely away from the homes foundation. We then laid in a new 6 Mil vapor barrier. We overlap the edges and run this up the walls to help it last. A simple 6 Mil will need to be replaced every few years or upgraded to a CleanSpace. 

The home was on the market, but during the inspection, the crawlspace was discovered to be to tight to meet local code requirements. To have the home ready for sale, it would need to have this issue addressed. The inspector suggested they call John's Waterproofing to use their Fix it To List it program. They called them up and got their quote for a full dig-out and our realty crawlspace package; a pipe, pump and plastic. 

To begin, our crew pulled out the old vapor barrier and debris that was present. We then used shovels to clear out an average of six inches of dirt throughout the crawlspace to bring it to local code. Once the space met the height requirements we installed a full drainage system in the crawlspace. This is a perforated pipe in a silt sock. The groundwater will be collected within this and graded to the lowest point of the crawlspace where we installed a TripleSafe sump pump which then sends the water safely out and away from the homes foundation. We then brought in a new 6 Mil vapor barrier, the edges were layered over one another and run up the wall. This will allow the vapor barrier to last a bit longer, but since it is a simple 6 Mil, it will need to be replaced in a few years. For a long term solution, the buyers can upgrade to a full encapsulation should they want to. 

When the first warm day of the summer hit, this homeowner decided to glance under the home to see how the crawlspace was holding up. When they looked, they discovered moisture on the wooden beams. Knowing water and wood can causing issues, they called up John's Waterproofing to get some help. We scheduled their free inspection and sent out a specialist to assist and make their home dry and healthy once more. 

To begin on this project we pulled out the old vapor barrier and debris that had been left under the home. We then dug a trench along the interior perimeter. Here we laid down a perforated pipe in a silt sock to collect groundwater. We graded this system to the lowest spot of the space where we installed a TripleSafe sump pump to dispel the water well away from the home. TerraBlock insulation was then laid over the dirt floor. CleanSpace was then installed, inserted under each wooden post, attached along the rim joists and sealed into place. Next we installed a SaniDry dehumidifier to keep the crawlspaces humidity levels at a healthy level. As a final step our spray foam installer applied spray foam insulation along the foundation walls.

A basement with water, isnt a healthy environment. It attracts water mold, condensation, and if humidity issues are present then rot can occur. This homeowner had an unfinished basement, and water condensation would appear on the basement windows and some water mold was taking hold on some of the items stored down here. The homeowners were ready for a solution to their homes water problem, and called up John's Waterproofing for options.

To begin working on this home, our crew used jackhammers to break out a trench along the interior perimeter. Here we installed our WaterGuard drainage system on a bed of gravel. The foundation walls were then covered in BrightWall paneling. This will send any water from the walls down and into the drain system. The water then travels along to a SuperSump Plus to push water out and away from the home. As a final step we installed a SaniDry dehumidifier to keep this space dry and healthy. 

After buying his new home, this homeowner was dismayed to find his crawlspace was a mess. There was wood chip debris everywhere and a sump pump that wasn't working. After learning that the original installers of this system had gone out of business, he did some research and called up John's Waterproofing. A System Designer was scheduled and when he arrived, he did a thorough examination of the crawlspace and exterior areas so he could compose a proposal for the homeowner.  Under the home, there was a lot of debris, no system to direct the amount of water present to the pump and, improper installation of the sump pump. 

When the crew arrived to do the work, they removed the old 6mil vapor barrier, general debris, and the inoperable pump to prepare for the new system. They installed a 3" perforated pipe system around the perimeter of the crawlspace and terminated it at the low point of the crawlspace which was where the new SuperSump pump system was installed, along with an UltraSump battery backup to ensure that the system would be operational in the event of a power outage. The discharge line then directed all collected water safely out and away from the home. Lastly, a new 6mil black plastic vapor barrier was carefully laid on the floor, well overlapped, and attached to the foundation walls to make sure that any water intrusion by way of the footing would be captured and directed to the system. 

This homeowner called because he had a rather tall crawlspace that he was using to store items. But there was water getting in during heavy rains and he feared that his belongings would get ruined with mold or mildew. He called on John's Waterproofing for a cure and a System Designer arrived at the home and did a quick measurement of the home's footprint and discovered that several downspouts were emptying out right next to the foundation wall. While discussing solutions, the design specialist recommended a solution to the downspouts and a full encapsulation. The crawlspace encapsulation would give him a great storage solution as well as improve the air quality for his family and help him save on his utility bills. 

The homeowner had cleared the crawlspace of all the items stored to make way for the crew. Our installers then cleaned out the debris, old insulation, and 6 Mil vapor barrier.  A perforated pipe drainage system was installed around the perimeter and graded to a TripleSafe sump pump. TerraBlock was then laid on the dirt floor to aid insulation and the vents were sealed and the posts were isolated. We then installed a 20mil nylon-reinforced CleanSpace vapor barrier and all seams were sealed up and run up the walls, fastening under the rim joist. A SaniDry dehumidifier was installed in this area to ensure the humidity was controlled to prevent mold growth and filter the air for a healthy home and crawlspace. Finally, a single cell spray foam was applied to the rim joist and foundation walls to bring the insulation to the required R factor. The downspouts were also addressed by connecting underground discharge lines that were extended well away from the home. The homeowner was thrilled with his large and safe storage area and the other bonuses of clean, filtered air for his family and utility savings!

A homeowner visited our booth at a Home and Garden Fair. They explained that they had a crawlspace in a recently purchased home and had never looked at it but they believed the sump pump was no longer working. They signed up to have a salesperson come and do a thorough investigation of the crawlspace so they could give the homeowner a detailed evaluation, complete with photos.

The inspection revealed that, indeed, the pump was not working and was improperly installed, and as a result, there were obvious signs that the crawlspace barrier was being breached by water repeatedly and was heavy with layers of silt.  There were also water stains from the vents so it was clear that water was streaming through the vents when it rained. This was a result of garden bark being piled up over the rim of the vents.

The inspector recommended a drain system and a SuperSump pump and proper discharge to take the water away from the home.  The crew came out and removed the old, dirty barrier and installed a perf pipe drainage system and graded it to the new SuperSump and a discharge line was connected to the downspout drainage for discharge.  The bark was raked away from the vents and a new 6mil vapor barrier was installed, properly overlapped, and run up the side of the foundation walls to ensure that any water intrusion from the footing would be captured in the drainage system. The homeowner was very pleased with the price, the work, and the great warranty! 

This old house experienced very little water throughout a year. The homeowners did not experience flooding, and no condensation could be found on the walls. However, with dirt floors in the crawlspace, water vapor had made its way up into the homes foundation. The homeowners had originally thought that the drooping places in the floor was due to the homes age, so they would add make-shift supports under their home, usually consisting of a cement blocks with various two by fours under support beams. This was done just to keep the floors from sagging further and they would just put as many pieces of wood in a spot as they could. While this provided some support to the noticeable places, it was not addressing the actual problem, water had made its way into the original wooden posts and they were slowly rotting, causing the flooring to sag and droop throughout the years. 

Since the original posts for the home had the wood penetrating the dirt floor, this direct contact was allowing the moisture in the dirt to slowly work its way up the posts, absorbing into the wooden pieces of the foundation, without enough excess water to be otherwise detected.  To repair this, we brought in twenty three SmartJacks to support and save this home from succumbing to rot. Our SmartJacks are made with strong, corrosion-resistant galvanized steel. Since it will not rust, it can be adjustable for years should the need to adjust arise. Once these were in place we safely removed the homemade posts and removed the rotten piers so that the wood rot wouldn't make its way further into the home. Since there would no longer be wood for the water to absorb into, we laid out a 6 Mil black plastic to keep the water from entering the crawlspace. This was secured throughout the crawlspace to save the homes foundation from any further damage. 

While we are happy to go and waterproof a crawlspace or basement that is experiencing waterproofing issues, it is nice when we can be a part of the project from when a home is initially built. With this home we were able to come in after the foundation was poured to waterproof the basement from the exterior. While possible to do this after a home has been built, it is not ideal, which is why most of our work is done on the interior of a space. This home still had the deep wells around the homes foundation and so our crew was able to come in and work directly on the freshly dried foundation walls. 

Our team laid out a dimpled Drainage matting to help divert water down and off of all of the walls, we then overlaid this with a Paraseal material. This product will swell when in contact with water to help keep it from entering a basement at all. When we can get to a house as it is being built we can ensure that no water problems happen from the start, we were happy to create a healthy and dry basement for this home so early in its lifetime. 

This builder had sat in on a class by John about water intrusion and knew when he built his new home he wanted to invest the extra money into making sure it was correctly waterproofed from the beginning. Most builders are so concerned with the price that they will choose the cheapest option that meets code.

Our crew installed Paraseal, a thick waterproofing membrane, around the foundation of the home and a drainage matting called Tremco to protect the home from any water intrusion after construction. 

Now this builder will have a safe and dry foundation for years to come and not have to worry about water intrusion.