All-Dry of the Carolinas Case Studies: Monster Crawl Space Saved
Challenge
The land where homes are built are not always flat and even, so this results in water running downhill. This is a problem because as the water flows downhill, even the tiniest space can let water in through the foundation and into the crawl space. Once water gets into the crawl space it increases the moisture rates and will end up damaging the home.
This home in Sylva, NC was dealing with this very problem. The low spot in this yard was in the middle of the back of the house. As water was flowing downwards towards that spot it caused the water to get into the crawl space. The crawl space ended up collecting so much water that most of it had standing water throughout it. This water and moisture had started to cause damage to the crawl space and was beginning to damage the foundation. Mold had begun to accumulate, insulation was falling, and pests were finding their way in.
A foundation specialist first went out to the home to help out, but referred them to us at All-Dry of the Carolinas to fix the crawl space moisture issue. We sent out our design specialist, David Listovitch, to check out the property where he found the crawl space in ruins. The normal humidity that is safe for a crawl space is around 50%. This crawl space was reading a 70% relative humidity level. To fix this nightmare crawl space, he suggested a variety of products that would help clean up the space and keep it dry.
One of the biggest issues when tackling a crawl space like this is the cleanout before installing our products. This crawl space had to be cleared of fallen insulation, rocks, dirt, trash, and other items. It took our crew a while to clean out this area, but once it was done they were able to begin installing our waterproofing products.
Solution
This crew led by crew foreman Ray Petry, first started by digging a hole for the Triple Safe Sump Pump in the lowest part of the crawl space. This type of sump pump is the best and biggest sump pump that can be bought. It is designed to keep the homeowner’s mind at ease when it comes to flooding. The TripleSafe pump contains three pumps that work together to keep water out of the crawl space. If pump A cannot keep up with the water then pump B will kick on to help out. Pump C is the UltraSump Battery backup system which will kick on in the event of a power outage. This TripleSafe pump is the most reliable pump to have in a basement or crawl space that takes in a lot of water.
Once the TripleSafe pump was installed the crew installed CleanSpace. This crawl space had 1,440 units of CleanSpace to be installed. Our crew placed it on the ground, walls, and wrapped the piers of the crawl space. Installing CleanSpace works to keep any water or ground moisture that accumulates in the crawl space from getting into the air. This works like a Band-Aid that is used to cover sores, yet this covers moisture. Any water that gets under the CleanSpace will be directed to the TripleSump Pump where it is flushed from the area.
Once CleanSpace and sump pump were installed into the crawl space an Aprilaire 1820 was installed to remove any moisture that’s in the air. You might think, “I thought CleanSpace was supposed to keep moisture out of the air,” which is true, but not all moisture in a crawl space is from the ground. In the crawl space of a home there are pipes that produce heat; this heat will create moisture in the air. Along with the home’s pipes, moisture can also seep in through the tiniest of holes. The crawl space was sealed with the airtight Everlast door and airtight vents. This works as a method of keeping the outside air out, but having a dehumidifier is always a good route to go when it comes to removing moisture completely from your crawl space.
This was a big job for us at All-Dry of the Carolinas. The crew foreman on this job Ray Petry, an employee that has been with us for almost three years and has performed over 200 jobs for the company. His crew took four days to tackle this monster crawl space and was able to make it look new with the white CleanSpace! With the help of our crew and design specialist this crawl space was now waterproofed and the relative humidity rate began to fall to normal levels.
