Your Trusted Halsey, OR Home Improvement Experts

This homeowner had recently heard about radon and how it could cause lung cancer. After listening to a news segment about radon they decided to pick up a charcoal test kit from their local hardware store. The reading showed that the homes level was at 4.4 pCi/L. It is recommended to mitigate when radon levels are above 2.0 pCi/L, so the homeowner did some research and called up John's Waterproofing to have their consultation with one of our dedicated certified radon specialists. We walked through how the system worked, and mapped out where it would go. Once the homeowners were pleased, we scheduled the installation. The radon pipe goes through their foundation, directly into the soil under the home. This will allow it to pull the radon gases out of the soil as it breaks down, before it enters the home. This pipe then wraps to the exterior of the home where a mitigation fan is installed which extends to a pipe that goes above the rooftop. We then left behind a charcoal radon test so they could recheck their home, the kit is sent to a third party company to ensure the homes radon levels are brought to below 2.0. 

This homes crawl space had a very foul odor coming from it. Unable to crawl under the home themselves, the homeowners called up John's Waterproofing to schedule their free inspection to understand what was going on under the home, and how they could properly solve the issues. Upon inspection we discovered the space to be very damp, mold and mildew were along the wooden beams and five of the wooden posts were rotting near their footings. To solve this homes problems we would need a few stages of work to occur. 

The first step was making the space safe. We sent a crew under and we replaced the five rotting posts with SmartJacks, we also installed an additional six SmartJacks to help re-stabilize the space due to the foundation damage that had been occurring over the years. Next  a Mold Remediation company was called out, while we can spot treat mold, this homes issue was beyond our scope. Once treated, we were able to go back under the home to encapsulate. The space was cleared of the old vapor barrier and debris. We installed a full interior perimeter drainage system with a TripleSafe sump pump. These will work together to address the groundwater issues, pumping this safely away from the home. We then insulated the dirt floor with TerraBlock, sealed the vents shut, and brought in CleanSpace. This 20 Mil vapor barrier has a woven fiber through it to deter critters from chewing through. A SaniDry dehumidifier was installed and Spray Foam applied to the foundation walls. This space is now dry, stable, and healthy! And with the encapsulation in place, mold will no longer be able to grow in this environment. 

With a muddy mess accumulating near the homes downspouts, the homeowners began to wonder how this would affect their crawlspaces health. They glanced under the home and shined a flashlight around, noting that standing water was in a few places. They decided to call up John's Waterproofing for a thorough inspection and see what their options were to address them. After our design specialist crawled under the home and performed a fill inspection on the exterior of the home it was confirmed that the standing water under the home, corresponded with where the downspouts sat outside of the home. We went over a few different options with different cost options, and settled on the solution that best fit the homeowners needs and budget. 
To begin our crew extended the downspouts into the ground and installed a drainage system for the downspouts water to be sent safely away from the homes foundation. We then went under the home and cleared out the old vapor barrier and debris. A full perimeter trench was dug where we installed a drainage system in a silt sock. This will collect groundwater and grade it naturally to a newly installed TripleSafe sump pump which we installed in the lowest point of the crawlspace. From here the water is pumped out and away from the homes foundation. We then laid down a new 6 Mil vapor barrier, overlapping the edges and running it up the walls a bit to help protect the space. This vapor barrier will need to be replaced every few years, or they can upgrade to a full encapsulation to provide a long term solution should they wish to do so. 

Due to a high water table, this home had been dealing with water in the crawlspace since purchasing the home. They had installed a store bough sump pump, but they still found moisture accumulating on the 6 Mil vapor barrier that was present. They weren't sure if they installed it wrong, needed a high powered pump, or what route to go, so they called up John's Waterproofing for professional help. We sent out a design specialist who inspected the home and discussed options, landing on an encapsulation to provide a long-term solution. 

To begin working, our installation crew pulled out the old vapor barrier, debris, as well as the old sump pump. We then dug a trench through the crawlspace and installed a drainage system to guide ground water to a low spot where we installed a TripleSafe sump pump. Water is then sent safely out and away from the homes foundation to a LawnScape outlet. We then laid out TerraBlock insulation and CleanSpace. The CleanSpace is installed under each wooden post, attached along the rim joist, and fully secured into place and sealed off the vents. A SaniDry dehumidifier was installed and spray foam applied to the foundation walls to keep this space dry and healthy year round! 

This old farmhouse and its crawlspace had been neglected. It had an old ripped up clear plastic barrier and the home had not met local code requirements for many years. The barrier didn't cover the floor of the crawlspace as required and because it allowed the moisture in the floor to rise, mold was growing on the beams and the subfloor over the crawlspace. The farmhouse needed a big facelift and the new owner, after being shown the benefits of encapsulation, decided this was the right thing to do. 

The crew came out and cleared the crawlspace of all of the debris and the old barrier. They installed a 3" perforated pipe drainage system around the perimeter to collect the water and direct it to a newly installed UltraSump pump, along with proper discharge safely away from the foundation. Next, TerraBlock, a high-density foam product was laid over the dirt floor. It aids in properly insulating the crawlspace and protecting the new CleanSpace vapor barrier. This is used to isolate each wooden post and anchored along the foundation walls. To address the homes humidity issues, a SaniDry dehumidifier was installed and all the vents were sealed. As a final piece, we used a closed cell Spray Foam insulation on the full wall of the foundation to keep the home insulated, allowing the homes energy costs to go down. 

This home had high humidity and this can often lead to mold spores and damage the homes longevity. The homeowners had a mold expert clear out the mold problem, and when asked about preventing mold, they were informed that crawlspace encapsulation was the only way to fully stop mold spores from occurring. The mold experts recommended John's Waterproofing. 

To encase the space we installed a SmartSump to direct groundwater safely away from the homes foundation. We then installed SilverGlo panels along the foundation walls. The space we then encased in our CleanSpace vapor barrier. This 20 Mil woven material is inserted under each wooden pier, anchored along the walls, and sealed into place. We then replaced the vent covers and inserted a SaniDry dehumidifier to control the humidity levels to keep mold spores away. The homeowners were excited to have clean and healthy air and protect their home! 

High energy bills can be frustrating, but one way to lower this bill, is to address your crawlspace. If the floor is cold to the touch during the winter season, a crawlspace insulation solution could help you save. 

Our crew began by removing the old debris from under the home. We than installed out TerraBlock crawlspace insulation along the dirt floor. The foundation walls were than covered with out SilverGlo insulation. This is anchored along the walls. To ensure it was sealed up, our crew than installed our CleanSpace vapor barrier. This wraps around each post footing and is secured along the walls. The homeowners quickly say their energy bills lower, and were very happy with how much warmer the floors were. 

A customer called with concerns of water in the crawl space and wanted one of our inspectors to come out and take a look. The inspector did happen to find water, but what he also found was mold and rotted-out posts due to the moisture and water being the crawl space. He offered a solution to the water issues and to the rotted posts, that solution was our SmartJack Post Replacement System. With the SmartJack along with our CleanSpace encapsulation, SmartSump and SaniDry dehumidifier this home will have sturdy new posts and a dry crawl space that will last for many years.