Encapsulation of Crawl Space in Rutherfordton, NC
Challenge
This home in Rutherfordton, NC called us at All-Dry of the Carolinas to get an estimate for drain work behind the home’s garage and possible work in the crawl space. When our design specialist David Listovitch visited the home, he identified water damage in the garage. This garage was being used as a workshop, so when water came into the space it soaked materials that had been setting on the floor, which was a real inconvenience.
Along with the water issue in the garage, when David examined the crawlspace he found obvious signs of water intrusion. Water stains and puddles painted the perimeter of the crawlspace resulting in mold buildup and high moisture readings. The crawlspace had an existing plastic vapor barrier that was failing to keep moisture from the air. The moisture that was building up in the air had caused the insulation to fall onto the crawlspace floor. The mess and moisture consumed crawl space soon became the home to pest such as rats, snakes, and spiders.
Solution
When our All-Dry of the Carolinas crew made it out to Rutherfordton, NC they started their job by removing all trash and insulation that was littering the crawl space. The crawl space underwent a total encapsulation with CleanSpace, Drainage Matting, vent seals, an Aprilaire 1820, and a SuperSump Pump. A hole was dug in the crawl space so the SuperSump Pump could be placed into the ground even with the surface. Drainage matting was placed down before the CleanSpace, this is a dimpled matting system that collects water from the crawl space floor and directs it to the SuperSump Pump. This drainage matting is used when crawl spaces take in a lot of water and need extra help getting it from under the vapor barrier into the pump. From there, CleanSpace was installed which is a 20 mil thick liner that works as a barrier to keep ground moisture from the crawl space floor out of the air. The CleanSpace is then wrapped around the floor and piers of the crawlspace, tucking in tightly under the top of the SuperSump Pump. Once the crawl space is encapsulated an Aprilaire 1820 is added to the crawl space to remove excess moisture from the air into the SuperSump where it is then flushed from the area. Interior sealed vents were the last part of the crawl space encapsulation; they were placed over all vents to keep out air and pests.
Our team took another approach when tackling the garage area, water had been seeping into the space where the wall meets the floor. To solve this problem, our All-Dry team installed WaterGuard and another SuperSump Pump. WaterGuard was installed around the perimeter of the garage so that when any water seeps up from the ground it is caught in the drainage system and then sent to the SuperSump Pump. The SuperSump then flushes all water collected out through the LawnScape outlet into the yard.
Together with all of these products, this crawl space and garage is now all dry!
