Us VS Others: Encapsulation - Portland, OR
Challenge
This homeowner had a different company do an encapsulation on their crawl space and discovered it wasn't done correctly when water started seeping into their homes foundation. They were recommended that John's Waterproofing would be able to come in to redo their crawl space and create a proper encapsulation system so no more damage would occur. We were able to identify the problem by the efflorescence along the walls. This is a salt deposit that is brought to the surface by water as it penetrates and evaporates along foundation walls. When an encapsulation is done correctly, you wouldn't be able to see the foundation walls at all. With the foundation being visible, it allows moisture to enter the crawl space still. Another issue with the previous encapsulation was the wooden posts weren't protected against water intrusion because they weren't isolated from water entering through the footing below. In order to solve this, we would need to do a full encapsulation by installing a new vapor barrier, sealing the wooden posts, and applying a spray foam to the walls for protection and insulating.
Solution
Because this crawl space had work in it from a previous company, we began by removing what was done improperly so we could see all the damage and install our products. The first step would be applying our insulation foam, TerraBlock. We chose to use this specific insulation foam along the base of the crawl space because of its durability by being 3/4 in. thick and cut exactly to match each specific crawl space. We then install our CleanSpace vapor barrier which is placed on top of our insulation foam and between the wooden post and footing to prevent rotting. Our vapor barrier is backed by a 25 year warranty against rips and tears. It also has 20 mil woven fibers that really work to keep moisture from seeping in. One of the most crucial final steps we do to ensure a properly insulated crawl space is through our Spray Foam insulation. This is applied along the walls to work as a barrier against the outside elements and offers the crawl space a safe and controlled environment. John's Waterproofing works to offer homeowners properly secure crawl spaces that protect not only the home, but the family too.
