Over 2 Feet of Water Floods Crawl Space - Corneilus, OR
Challenge
This homeowner experienced significant water damage in their crawl space. They started noticing a strange smell in the home and looked in their crawl space to find it completely flooded with over 2 feet of water. Immediately she called John's Waterproofing to get someone to her home quick before the water would start causing structural damage. Upon inspection, we discovered that the previous vapor barrier had been coated in mud and while there was a sump pump present, it was clogged and couldn't keep up with the amount of water present. We suggested that the Pipe Pump Plastic method would be the best solution so water would have proper drainage and prevent future flooding.
Solution
When we offer a homeowner the Pipe Pump Plastic solution, it can be a more affordable option while still controlling the environment in the crawl space. We first dig a trench along the interior perimeter of the crawl space. This trench is where we lay a perforated pipe that helps to guide water and direct it to a sump pump. This homeowner opted for the SuperSump Plus sump pump. With this installed any water that is collected in the sump pump's container can be properly sent out away from the homes foundation. It runs constantly so water always has a safe passageway to get away from the home. We then install a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier designed to keep any water controlled beneath it so it will be sent into the perforated pipe. It is overlapped over each seam and anchored up along the foundation walls to really ensure moisture can't get in. Because this homeowner experienced such an extreme amount of pooling, their was damage to the wooden posts beneath the home. It is critical to have stable posts and beams because these are what support the sub-floor and the home overall. Water seeping into the wooden posts causes the wood to rot and deteriorate, negating their purpose of stabilization. This home ended up having 18 wooden posts with water damage and we replaced them with SmartJacks. These jacks are steel piers designed to support the home while also being made of material that can't mold or rot. Now, this homeowner has a dry crawl space and a fully stabilized home.
