Crawl Space Repair Before & After Photos

This crawlspace looks like the perfect location for a scary movie and that is not a compliment.  Dreary, decrepit and unvisited are a few words I would use to describe it.  Judging by the look of it, unsalvageable should be another word we could use. Fortunately, that is not the case for this Maggie Valley, North Carolina crawlspace.

It’s not the best looking thing in the word, but it certainly isn’t the worst. For a crawlspace with moisture issues, this is about average. The homeowner even tried to provide a barrier between the earth and crawlspace, but even that didn’t help. The plastic is too thin and it isn’t sealed into place. The insulation—if we can still call it that—has suffered a great deal from over exposure to moisture. Once that insulation becomes damp, it sags and is essentially useless. This means the insulation is basically just sitting there collecting water.

Now, let’s fast-forward to the present. Let’s fast-forward to the “after” image. See the difference? That poor, ill-fated insulation is removed. The original liner is gone, replaced with our sturdy CleanSpace. This liner has five times the thickness of the original liner. It’s white, clean, and is actually sealed this time. This liner is the barrier the crawlspace both needs and deserves. Now, if there’s ever actually a problem you won’t be afraid to venture down and investigate. You may even welcome it! Who knows?

The main thing is that All-Dry of the Carolinas was able to come to the rescue once again and bring a moisture free environment into this once chaotic, humid space.

This home in Arden, North Carolina had a very damp crawlspace which was in need of a CleanSpace liner, as well as a dehumidifier and sump pump. Between these three products, a crawlspace is usually pretty protected from moisture. However, because this problem wasn't addressed soon enough, we also had to clean the mold off of the floor joists and other areas using Mold-X.

The "before" photo shows the crawlspace's condition when our System Design Specialist first arrived at the home. As you can see, there is insulation falling down and already on the ground. The unprotected and uncovered ground lets a lot of moisture enter the crawlspace. This was one of the biggest problems for this homeowner.

The "after" photo gives a great view of the same area, which just happens to be where several of the products that we installed were located. First off, you have the CleanSpace liner. This liner provides great protection and a seal to keep the crawlspace separate from the open ground. We also have the SantaFe Edge II Dehumidifier, which is another quality product we provide. The dehumidifier essentially filters the air for any moisture and keeps the relative humidity low enough that mold cannot grow. The final product in this picture, that you can't see very well is the sump pump. The sump pump takes any water that collects under the CleanSpace liner or from the dehumidifier and pumps it outside the home.

This home in Arden, North Carolina had been badly damaged by moisture in the crawlspace. They had an old crawlspace liner that was not able to give them very much protection from moisture and mold. The moisture started to soak into the insulation in the crawlspace, as the insulation got heavier and heavier, it began to sag and eventually fall down. When the homeowner noticed this happening and saw the condensation (mainly under the old liner), they decided to give us a call. We were able to help this homeowner out tremendously by encapsulating their crawlspace.

The "before" picture shows the condition of the crawlspace before any work was done. As you can see, a lot of the insulation is sagging or has already fallen. This is a common sign of water intrusion and moisture problems under a home.

The "after" photo shows off our crew's amazing installation job. As you can see, all of the insulation was taken out of the crawlspace. This is because of how much moisture was in the insulation. If it would have been left, mold would have easily grown in the crawlspace. The old liner was removed from the ground and replaced with drainage matting and the CleanSpace liner. Our crew also scrubbed down the floor joists with MoldX, which destroys any mold and prevents future mold growth.

Here at All-Dry of the Carolinas, we cannot speak enough about how great of a product CleanSpace is! It’s durable, reliable, and very convenient. Crawl spaces of all shapes and sizes are able to be fitted with CleanSpace to encapsulate the space. No matter what type of issues that you are having in the crawl space, if it involves moisture, us at All-Dry of the Carolinas are able to handle it.

            In most crawl space situations, moisture invades the air from the ground. Crawl spaces are usually victim of dampness and ground water due to hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure is when ground water is forced down by gravity until it is stopped by some type of force, which in these cases is a basement or crawl space wall. The water is then forced against this object until it forces its way through or around. When water begins coming into your home from underground, it is typically a result of this pressure.

            It is almost impossible to completely stop this amount of water intrusion, but there are ways to prepare for it so it doesn’t affect your home. This home in Arden, NC was experiencing ground moisture due to hydrostatic pressure. The homeowners called us at All-Dry of the Carolinas to help them with their problem so we send out our design specialist, David Listovitch, to give the space a look.

            David noticed large amount of moisture in the crawl space that was affecting the home. To stop this issue, David recommended CleanSpace to keep the moisture from getting into the air. This is where the magic of CleanSpace comes in handy. This crawl space was oddly shaped, yet CleanSpace was able to wrap around all the walls, floors, and piers.

            In the pictures you can see how this product is very convenient in waterproofing crawl spaces and preventing ground moisture from damaging the house. Along with CleanSpace, this crawl space was equipped with a SmartSump pump and dehumidifier to protect the home from high moisture levels.

Many people will lay down some type of plastic in their crawlspace to help keep the humidity level down. However, this usually just means that a thin sheet is laid out throughout the crawlspace and that is the end of the story. This misses one of the most important parts of encapsulation, sealing the liner. Sealing the liner is one of the most important parts because it prevents any water vapor from getting into the crawlspace.

Although this sounds like a simple task, it isn't as easy as it sounds. As you can see this homeowner tried to tape these sheets together and then to the top of the wall. This is similar to our process, but because of the quality and lack of experience this homeowner had with waterproofing, this "do-it-yourself" option did not work out nearly as well. As you can see, the corner of the plastic has fallen down.

Our installers are well-versed and have extensive training in the installation of all of our systems. Many of our employees have been working with us for several years, with a few of them having around 15 years of experience here! Needless to say, our crews know exactly how to install all of our products. Not only do we have several methods of securing and sealing the liner, but the crews also try to follow every curve of the area so that the liner won't be pulled away from the wall.