Protecting the Wooden Posts in Canby, OR
Challenge
Every homeowner wants to feel safe where they live and hope that their home will last as long as they live there. This begins by protecting your crawl space and keeping your foundation dry. Any water or moisture that gets into the crawl space can impact the structural integrity of the home and result in rotten wooden posts and eventually sagging sub-floors. The wooden posts and support beams in the crawl space are incredibly important to protect because they increase the longevity and stabilization of the home and since wood is made of organic materials it makes it an optimal surface for rot and mold to grow if too much moisture is absorbed. At John's Waterproofing, we want to ensure that every aspect of the home is protected against water damage and that starts with keeping the wooden posts in the crawl space dry.
Solution
Most homes are built on top of dirt and use concrete footings to raise the home off of the ground. Because these concrete footings are installed directly over that dirt, they are more susceptible to exposure to water and moisture. The goal of isolating the wooden posts from the concrete footing is to prevent any of that moisture from having access to the wood that will eventually lead to mold growth and rot. Within this home, we found five wooden posts which were in very poor condition, but we would be able to help protect the remaining posts. Firstly, we need to control how water moves throughout the crawl space. Instead of allowing it to puddle, we install a drainage system using a perforated pipe and a SuperSump Plus sump pump to provide a safe passageway for water to flow through and be pushed away from the homes foundation. Next, we need to create a barrier between the dirt and the crawl space. This is done by installing TerraBlock, a thick insulation foam, along the base of the crawl space. This seals the earth out and can control the environment in the crawl space. Once the passage of water is controlled and we create a stable environment, then it's time to install a vapor barrier that keeps water out. This is with the CleanSpace vapor barrier. This vapor barrier is installed on top of the TerraBlock, along the foundation walls, and between the concrete footing and wooden posts. It ensures that moisture won't seep up into the wood of the home and protect against mold and rot. We chose the CleanSpace vapor barrier because it is backed by a 25 year warranty against rips and tears due to it being made with 20 mil thick woven fibers. Once the vapor barrier is installed and there is proper protection for the wooden posts, then we install a dehumidifier. The SaniDry dehumidifier pulls moisture out of the air and controls the environment against humidity. For the wooden posts that have already been too significantly damaged, we install SmartJacks. These are steel adjustable piers that can help to re-stabilize the home in places where the foundation is no longer supported. All these steps in the encapsulation process help to protect and improve the longevity and stabilization of the home.
