Home Health Photo Album: Keeping Homes Healthy with Encapsulation - Portland, OR

This homeowner was ready to upgrade their crawl space after noticing the fiberglass insulation was falling from the sub-floor and the vapor barrier was covered in dirt and debris. They wanted professionals to come in and redo the space so that their home would stay healthy and called John's Waterproofing. Upon inspection, we discovered that they had significant water damage to the foundation walls and the wooden posts supporting their home. We suggested a full encapsulation would be the best option to maintain the health of their home and protect against future water damage. We began by removing all the previous insulation and vapor barrier. With a clean start, then we were able to install a drainage system using a perforated pipe and a sump pump. The perforated pipe goes along the interior perimeter of the crawl space and is capable of collecting any water that tries to enter and offer it a safe passageway to exit. Because this space was so large, we ended up installing two TripleSafe sump pumps. These three-pump systems take all the water collected from the pipe and are able to safely push the water out of the crawl space and away from the homes foundation. This helps keep the space dry and avoid flooding. After drainage is installed, we then installed TerraBlock along the entire base of the space. TerraBlock is a thick insulation foam that helps to seal the home off from the earth and control the atmosphere in the crawl space. As seasons change, the TerraBlock helps to create a barrier against the earth and that results in a more energy efficient home. A new CleanSpace vapor barrier is installed on top of the TerraBlock, up the foundation walls, and between the footing and wooden posts. This prevents water from being able to seep over top the vapor barrier. It also protects the places that experience water damage the worst like the walls and the wooden posts. Spray Foam is applied along the foundation walls to insulate and air seal. Finally, a SaniDry dehumidifier is installed which filters the air by pulling moisture and particles out. Now, the homeowner gets to enjoy all the benefits of a dry and healthy crawl space.