Crawl Space Repair Case Studies: Cleaning a Crawl Space in Clinton, NC

Wednesday, March 28th, 2018 by Mary White

Challenge

Mark, of Clinton, NC, had experienced a few humidity issues inside his home recently, and so after curiosity got the best of him, he ventured down to take a peek at his crawl space. What he saw worried him, because he knew that this much moisture would not bode well for the crawl space, the wood joists and beams, or the interior of his home. Mark wanted a completed inspection to see what would need to be done. He gave us a call at Southeast Foundation and Crawl Space Repair to schedule a visit.

On the day of the appointment, Mike from Southeast Foundation & Crawl Space Repair arrived to inspect the crawl space. Mike soon learned that Mark was correct concerning his moisture issues. Mold was present on many of the beams and joists, and overall wood conditions were much worse than previously thought by the homeowner. One joist’s moisture content registered 46.4% and the relative humidity of the crawl space was almost 80%! It was time to get serious about reconditioning Mark’s crawl space, and it was imperative that the team act quickly.

Solution

When Southeast Foundation & Crawl Space Repair arrived, they began as, always, by being careful to remove any debris, level the area, and complete any other prep work that was necessary before installation could begin. With quite a bit of fallen insulation in the space to remove, it took the team some time to get this completed. Now, it was time to move to the actual encapsulation.

In order to regain control of Mark’s crawl space, a full encapsulation would be the perfect solution. The crew began by installing the SmartSump, a pump that collects and contains crawl space moisture. Then, they added a discharge line, and ran the line all the way out to a new lawnscape outlet, which they installed outside away from Mark’s home. This would allow water to be transported away to a more ideal place.

Next, they needed to seal off the crawl space from the earth underneath by covering the walls and floors. Team Southeast sealed off all crawl space vents, giving the dehumidifier even more control of the relative humidity inside. Both of the home’s original wooden crawl space doors were replaced by custom-made doors, completely sealing the entryway from outside air and moisture, which had been finding its way in. Then, the crews coated the crawl space walls with SilverGlo, another ultimate performance product of Basement Systems. With a graphite core and an outer surface that also serves as an effective radiant barrier, SilverGlo forces heat back into the crawl space, which in turn, saves money for the homeowner. This product would ensure that the transfer of moisture into the crawl space from outer walls would now be eliminated.

We then installed our 10mil-thick CleanSpace liner, a bright-white barrier that serves as a thick separation between the crawl space and the earth below, keeping this area dry. By doing this, we prevent future deterioration of wood joists and also protect against rot and mold in Mark’s crawl space. They also used the liner to insulate Mark’s foundation wall, giving the crawl space a complete look, and sealing it uniformly.

One of the final steps of the project, and possibly the most important, is installing a device that can automatically control the relative humidity of the crawl space year-round. Our high-efficiency Sani-Dry Sedona dehumidifier offers complete control of the crawl space environment, ensuring the prevention of mold growth while continuously keeping the area dry and free from problem-causing moisture.

After all steps of the encapsulation were complete, Team Southeast tidied up the workspace, and the job was complete. Mark had known he needed to take action before potentially more damage was done in his crawl space. Now at job completion, he was pleased that he was moved to action, and also that he had chosen Southeast Foundation and Crawl Space Repair to help him control his crawl space and keep his home and family safe and healthy.