Eric Pass

Mold needs warm temperatures, high relative humidity and organic material to grow. In our area, crawl spaces create the perfect environment for this. We did a physical wipe down of the joists with an antimicrobial to kill and remove the mold growing on the wood.

Fiberglass Batts between the joists absorb moisture like a sponge. They hold moisture against the wood joists and fall and sag over time. Their paper backing and the wood floor joists are organic material that often has mold growing on them. We removed the old insulation and installed new, foam board insulation on the crawl space walls. 

Previously, this crawl space had a 6-mil lightweight vapor barrier that was torn and even missing in places. We installed the CleanSpace Encapsulation System. The CleanSpace vapor barrier is a heavy-duty 20-mil liner that is perfect for crawl spaces that have service persons working on equipment, plumbing, or electrical, or for storage. It resists rips and tears, and is fastened to the walls and wrapped around piers sealing the earth off from the home. 

This Saluda basement had major water issues in the basement. The WaterGuard Drainage System and SuperSump were installed to help keep this basement dry ALL the time. 

This homeowner had concerns about water entering their basement, especially during the heavy rainfall the Virginia Peninsula and Richmond have been seeing. The solution was to install a complete basement waterproofing system. CleanSpace was installed covering the below-grade portion of the basement walls to direct any water infiltration into the drainage system. The WaterGuard Drainage System was installed to collect any water entering the basement that was directed downward by the CleanSpace and direct it toward the SuperSump System. The SuperSump System is a 1/3 hp sump pump, that pumps water out of the basement and away from the home. In these photos, you can see the bottom of the stairs in the basement. The before photo shows staining on the walls and a collection of silt and sediment where the floor meets the wall. these are clear signs that water is entering the basement. Since the basement is used for storage and laundry this poses a threat to the homeowner's valuables and washer and dryer. In the after photo, you can see the dark line of cement around the perimeter of the basement where the WaterGuard system has been installed and the bright white walls that are lined with CleanSpace. 

A homeowner in Richmond, VA was experiencing flood within their basement and had us install a Super Sump to help remove any excess water. The Super Sump has an efficient 1/3 cast iron pump on top of a CleanPump stand with an air-tight lid covering the sump basin. It is also equipped with a WaterWatch alarm system in case the pump fails or the water exceeds its capabilities. A drain line is connected to guide any water collected out of the basement and to a predetermined location on the homeowner's property.

This homeowner contacted us with concerns about the joists in their crawl space. At the inspection, we found damaged and falling insulation, mold growing on the floor joists, and high humidity. To mitigate the problems under the home, and prevent them from reoccurring, we sealed the crawl space. The space was cleaned out, the mold was remediated, then we installed a new vapor barrier, sealed all the vents, rim & band, sill plate, and any holes through the foundation to outside. Next, we installed insulation on the foundation walls and installed a dehumidifier to regulate the relative humidity and protect the home from moisture damage. 

As part of a basement waterproofing solution, we install a CleanSpace vapor barrier on the basement walls. The liner is sealed at all seams and mechanically attached to the walls. It directs the water that seeps through the foundation walls down into the WaterGuard drainage track and ultimately to the sump pump and away from the home's foundation. 

Water has been seeping into this basement through the porous block wall and damaging the fished wall and trim that had been installed on top of it. The sheetrock and trim have been cut away to expose the block wall where we can see water staining and efflorescence, clear signs of prolonged water infiltration. 

We installed WaterGuard, a perimeter french drain system that collects the infiltrating water and directs it to a sump pump where it is pumped away from the home's foundation. CleanSpace Vapor Barrier is installed on the foundation walls, about 6 inches above outside grade to direct the moisture coming through the walls down into the drainage system. This also allows the homeowners to refinish the basement without concerns of water damaging the walls again. 

The standard vapor barrier that is installed in the crawl space during construction is a flimsy 6-mil liner that is easily torn apart by any service persons, rodents, and pests who crawl on top of it. This ineffective vapor barrier does not get properly sealed around the piers or foundation walls. Moisture from the earth floor rises into the crawl space through these gaps, adding to the relative humidity if the temperature rises.

CleanSpace is a 20-mil thick vapor barrier that completely seals off the home from the earth’s moisture. It is wrapped around the piers and sealed to the foundation walls using a 4” wide vinyl tape. Moisture rising from the ground is not able to penetrate the CleanSpace liner, adding to the total control of relative humidity in the crawl space.

The open vents allow moisture and outside air into the crawl space. This makes it extremely difficult to control the overall relative humidity underneath a home. The dry winter air entering the vents will cause the floors above to feel cold and drafts, as well as raising the energy costs to keep the house comfortable. And in the summer, the wet, hot air will carry moisture into the crawl space, raising the relative humidity and allowing mold and mildew to thrive.

The foundation walls of this crawl space have been sprayed over, using a closed-cell spray foam that provides not only insulation but blockage from outside air moisture, while the open vents were sealed with foam board and covered in the same closed-cell spray foam. When closed-cell spray is applied at 1.5” thickness, it acts as an air barrier and vapor retarder. Sealing off the outside air and moisture provides the homeowner with more control over the relative humidity in the crawl space.

The insulation in this crawl space beginning to pull apart and fall to the floor. Fiberglass insulation is not meant to hold moisture, and it loses its value when it becomes damp. Water droplets displace the air in the spaces between the glass fibers, reducing the material's thermal abilities. The wet insulation fibers pull apart and the added weight of moisture causes it to sag and even fall to the crawl space floor, rendering it useless.

Most crawl spaces in our area, like this Chester, VA home have fiberglass insulation between the floor joists. However, this is not an effective solution in our area due to high humidity and warm temperatures over half of the year resulting in high relative humidity, falling insulation, and microbial growth. So instead, the foundation walls were insulated using closed-cell spray foam which acts as an air barrier and vapor retarder, while the home was sealed from the earth’s moisture with CleanSpace, a heavy-duty vapor barrier. The foundation vents were sealed with Foamax foam board and covered over with closed-cell spray foam. Not only does all this protect the crawl space from moisture, with the addition of a dehumidifier it helps control the relative humidity, improves air quality, and reduces energy bills.

Our client has a basement that is partially underground. This wall has been showing signs of water infiltration. It is the wall that is located below their garage and subgrade. The homeowner uses their basement for storage and as a workshop so they want the space to stay dry and clean, and not have to worry about moisture causing any mold, mildew, or musty odors in the space. 

Our team installed the Waterguard system, a track installed underneath the slab that along with the CleanSpace liner on the wall, diverts infiltrating water to the TripleSafe sump pump system with UltraSump Battery Backup. The system will keep water and moisture from entering the basement and with the battery backup, the homeowner can have peace of mind that even during storms, their home is protected. 

This Petersburg, VA home had an issue with water entering their basement. A trench drain was installed around the exterior basement door. This drain will collect any water that enters the basement through the exterior door. 

This Petersburg, VA home had an issue with water entering their basement. The lighter color cement on the floor of the basement indicates where the WaterGuard drainage system and SuperSump Pump have been installed. The WaterGuard Drainage System feeds to the SuperSump pump which carries any water out of the basement and away from the home. The SaniDry Sedona Dehumidifier pulls any excess moisture from the air helping keep the basement dry. 

This homeowner contacted us with concerns about water entering thier basement. The lighter colored cement around the perimeter indicates where the WaterGuard Drainage System has been installed. The grey rectangle on the right is an access for the drainage system allowing any necessary maintenance to be performed. 

This homeowner had been using their basement for a recreational space but was having issues with water seeping in. We installed the WaterGuard Drainage System, a Perimeter Drainage system that collects and evacuates infiltrating water away from the home. The homeowner has since been able to finish off their basement space and utilize it without worrying about water damage. 

This basement had an existing sump pump that wasn't keeping it dry. The pump and basin sat in an open pit of water, that would back up into the basement. To help alleviate this, we installed a TripleSafe Sump Pump System. We cleaned the pit out and filled it with stone to keep mud away from the basin and pump. The TripleSafe Sump Pump System contains 3 pumps, a 1/3 HP pump, a 1/2 hp sump, and the UltraSump Battery Back-up. Together these pumps keep your basement dry. 

This basement has some concerns with water infiltration. In addition to a TripleSafe Sump Pump System, on the opposite side of the basement, we installed with SuperSump Pump System next to the water heater. The SuperSump Pump System which contains a 1/2 hp pump on a pump stand to keep it from clogging if any silt or sediment finds it's way into the pump basin. 

This basement had water seeping in around the perimeter. We installed the WaterGuard Drainage System to collect any water infiltration and direct it to a sump pump which would carry the water away from the home and to a spot on the property designated by the homeowner.