Basement Waterproofing & Crawl Space Encapsulation in Elmira, OR

A crawl space provides a damp, cool environment that attracts many different kinds of critters. This home dealt with mice in particular. They had been replacing vent covers for years due to them being chewed on, and their exterior entryway was covered with a piece of plywood, that had been chewed through. While they had placed traps and mouse poison in the crawl space, they ended up having to clear it out still to rid the home of the odors that penetrated into the living spaces. After dealing with this for a while, they wanted a long term solution. After doing some research online, they decided to learn more about encapsulation to see if that would help. 

To begin on this home, we cleared the space out. Once the old vapor barrier, damaged fiberglass insulation, and general debris was removed, we were ready to begin encapsulating. This involved digging a trench through the area, laying in a perforated pipe in a silt sock, and grading this to the lowest point of the crawl space. This is where we installed a SuperSump Plus, which pumps the water safely out from the home. We then laid in TerraBlock insulation over the dirt floor to re-insulate the space. All of the vents were sealed shut, and we then brought in CleanSpace. This 20 Mil vapor barrier has a woven fiber through it that deters critters from chewing through it. This goes under each wooden post, anchors along the rim joist, and is sealed fully into place, so critters are deterred from getting through at all. We then applied spray foam, to the walls, both insulating and air sealing. A SaniDry dehumidifier was installed to address humidity issues, and as a final piece we installed an EverLast entryway to the exterior entrance so it wont be chewed through. 

Water issues in a crawlspace lead to a plethora of issues. Two major issues that we deal with in the PNW were present in this home. Firstly, if a home has a simple 6 Mil vapor barrier, heavy water without a proper drainage system will flood, bringing mud and debris on top of the vapor barrier. This leads to caked on mud, the barrier shifting out of place, and a general mess that attracts critters and allows mold and mildew to affix to the wooden aspects of the home. For this reason a 6 mil is advised to be changed out every few years. Secondly if old fiberglass insulation is present, it will absorb and moisture from the air, holding water against the wooden beams, allowing a culture rich environment for mold to grow unseen under the insulation. To address these major issues, they called up John's Waterproofing to discuss their homes options. 

Ultimately they wanted a long term solution, so they decided to move forward with a full encapsulation. Our crew pulled out the old insulation, vapor barrier, and general debris. We then installed a full drainage system in the crawlspace with a perforated pipe in a silt sock to divert water to an UltraSump Pump and then out away from the home. To insulate we then laid down TerraBlock insulation on the dirt floor. This is then wrapped into a CleanSpace encapsulation. This is inserted under each wooden post, attached along the rim joist, and fully sealed into place, sealing off all vents. We then installed a SaniDry Dehumidifier, and upgraded the exterior entrance to an Everlast access well and EverLast Door. A few weeks later our spray foam specialist arrived and applied spray foam along the foundation walls, effectively air sealing and insulating the space. 

The homeowners here checked out their crawlspace. They found a thick layer of dust and dirt on the wooden post footings, and mud was found on top of their simple 6 Mil vapor barrier. They knew these issues could lead to big problems for their home, so they called up John's Waterproofing for some help. After a full inspection we worked with them to form a solution. 

The first part of this job would be sealing up the space. The exterior entrance was tight and only had a piece of plywood to cover. We cut the concrete bigger so we could bring in supplies and installed an EverLast well and door. We then sealed up the vents. We then pulled out the old vapor barrier, the old fiberglass insulation and debris from under the home. We then installed a SuperSump with an UltraSump backup in the lowest spot. This will collect the groundwater and send it out and away from the home. TerraBlock insulation was then laid over the dirt floor and encased in CleanSpace. This is a 20 Mil woven vapor barrier that is inserted under each wooden post, anchored along the rim joist, and taped into place with a special four inch wide waterproof tape. We then insulated the foundation walls with Spray Foam and installed a SaniDry dehumidifier to keep this home dry and healthy! 

A homeowner called John's Waterproofing with a request for a new 6 mil vapor barrier. Upon inspection, our design specialist discovered extensive water damage. The homes water level was filling the space, flooding up above the wooden posts levels, and the wood was beginning to rot away. Posts are critical to the support of the home and he was fortunate that the damage was not so severe that the posts needed replacing because that would have been very costly. However, the problem needed to be dealt with right away to prevent further damage. He agreed to a full encapsulation, complete with a comprehensive water control system to protect their home. 

The crew arrived and they removed all of the old vapor barrier, as well as the old, dirty fiberglass insulation and other debris. They installed a 3" perforated pipe drainage system around the perimeter to collect the water and direct it to a newly installed TripleSafe sump pump, along with proper discharge away from the home. TerraBlock, a high-density foam product was laid over the dirt floor. This aids in insulating the crawlspace while protecting the new CleanSpace, 20mil, nylon-reinforced barrier. This vapor barrier is used to isolate each wooden post and anchored to the foundation walls. We then installed a SaniDry dehumidifier to ensure the crawlspace humidity was controlled and the home stays dry and healthy. With all the vents sealed, closed cell Spray Foam insulation was applied to the full wall of the foundation to keep the home insulated to industry standards. Healthy, dry, filtered air helps the homeowners stay healthy, comfortable, lowers utility bills, and increases the value of the home.

These homeowners had an older home with floors which were cold during the Winter months. The homeowners had a simple vapor barrier installed in their crawlspace and had pushed their old fiberglass insulation back up against the floorboards since it would droop down. Their energy bills were higher then they should have been, and so they called up John's Waterproofing to have a professional come and assess the crawlspace. 

To fix the homeowner's concerns we discovered that water was penetrating the crawlspace through porous foundation walls, so it would end up on top of the old vapor barrier, vaporize, and weigh down the old insulation. The old insulation was water damaged and was no longer providing proper heat retention to the home, rising the energy bills. We began by cutting the crawlspace entryway larger, and installed a new EverLast access well and Everlast doorway. We then removed the old insulation and vapor barrier. To keep water moving away from the crawlspace we installed a SuperSump pump with an UltraSump back up. The dirt floor was then insulated with TerraBlock, and encased with our woven 20 Mil vapor barrier; CleanSpace. This is inserted under each wooden post, anchored along the walls and secured in place. The walls were then insulated with Spray Foam and a SaniDry dehumidifier was installed to help keep this space dry and healthy. 

Falling fiberglass insulation and caked on mud, these issues pledged this home. The caked on mud had left the old vapor barrier stiff and difficult to move around. To find a solution to their water issues, the home owners brought in John's Waterproofing. 

The first issue we addressed with this home was the tight crawlspace entrance. It was difficult to maneuver into, so we cut out the concrete to widen the space and installed an EverLast Door and EverLast Access Well. With this issue we addressed, the crew removed the old insulation and cut up the old vapor barrier to be able to remove it. Once the space was cleared out we installed a SuperSump pump and UltraSump back up should a power outage occur. To add insulation back to this crawlspace we installed our TerraBlock along the dirt floor. The space was than encased in our 20 Mil thick CleanSpace vapor barrier. This is installed under the wooden beams, and anchored along the walls. We than used spray foam to insulate the foundation walls. The final work for this crawlspace was installing a SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier. This home will now be dry and healthy. 

A homeowner had given us a call with concerns about their wet crawl space. Our crews went out and first removed all the debris from the crawl space. Then they installed CleanSpace encapsulation system on the floor and walls of the crawl space. The CleanSpace keeps out any moisture or water vapor from coming into the crawl space from the floor or walls. It also adds a nice-looking clean finish. CleanSpace also helps keep out pests. A SmartSump sump pump was installed in the crawl space as well. The SmartSump in perfectly designed for crawl spaces. In addition to the powerful pump, the SmartSump also has a built-in WaterWatch alarm system. So in the event of a plumbing leak, the alarm will sound to inform the homeowner that there is a problem while draining the water away before any damage is done. Now that homeowner no longer has to worry about water damaging their crawl space and home.