The Drying Company Before & After Photos

Moisture finds its way through porous foundation walls. Common signs are chipping, peeling or bubbling paint, water staining, and efflorescence (a white powdery residue). 

As part of the waterproofing system installed in this basement, CleanSpace is installed on the walls to direct moisture that moves through the poured concrete walls down into the french drain system we installed called WaterGuard. 

The WaterGuard System has been installed around the perimeter of the basement as well as some additional lateral lines throughout the center of the space. 

WaterGuard is a french drain system installed beneath the slab that collects water and directs it to a sump pump where it can be carried away from the home's foundation, making the basement a dry, useable space. 

This basement had an existing sump pump, however, it wasn't keeping up with the water in the space. The system also lacked an air-tight lid, allowing moisture and odors to rise back into the space. 

This pump was replaced with the SuperSump Plus. Housed in a large liner, the SuperSump plus is a 1/3 hp pump atop a clean pump stand that keeps it out of silt and sediment to prevent clogs and is housed in a basin with an air-tight lid and water-watch alarm. The alarm alerts the homeowner if the water in the basin gets too high or if there is a water leak from above, such as a pipe leak or burst hot water heater, that hits the top of the basin. A valve on top of the basin allows water from above in, so that it can drain and be pumped away. 

In addition, the homeowner also opted for the UltraSump Battery Backup which will kick in and operate the pump in case of power failure. 

This Richmond, VA homeowner contacted us because they noticed moisture issues in their crawl space that they wanted to be addressed. At our inspection, we found microbial growth on the floor joists, no vapor barrier covering the ground, and falling, damaged insulation. 

Once the homeowner's belongings were removed, we cleaned all of the debris out of the crawl space and treated the microbial growth. We then sealed all the vents and air sealed the sill plate and all penetrations through the foundation walls to the outside. Next, our team rolled out a heavy-duty vapor barrier called CleanSpace, it was attached to the foundation walls, wrapped and sealed around all piers, and overlapped and sealed at all seams to seal the crawl space off from the earth's moisture. Now, the space is ready to be insulated with closed-cell spray foam on the foundation walls and in the rim band. Then a dehumidifier will be installed to control the relative humidity. 

Keeping air carrying moisture out and controlling the relative humidity in the space will help to prevent future moisture damage in the crawl space. It also creates a clean dry storage space for the homeowners and will help to keep their floors warmer in the winter and can even reduce energy bills. 

An interior, insulated, friction fit door is installed behind the existing crawl space door.