Crawl Space Repair Before & After Photos

This crawl space had standing water, mold, a damaged vapor barrier and falling insulation. Our team encapsulated the space with a new vapor barrier, we added spray foam insulation where necessary and installed a dehumidifier and sump pump. Now this crawl space is sure to be mold and water-free!

The original crawl space door on this home was warped and waterlogged. As part of the encapsulation system, we replaced this with a friction-fit interior door to add air sealing and insulation and an exterior Everlast Door. The exterior door will not rust, rot, or warp. 

These homeowners in Chesapeake, Virginia needed help sealing and insulating their crawl space. These pictures show a before and after of installing CleanSpace, a heavy-duty vapor barrier that helps protect the crawl space from moisture rising from the earth. It is wrapped around all crawl space piers and is mechanically fastened 6-8 inches above outside grade. An antimicrobial called UltraFresh is made into the material of this 7-layer polyethylene liner to help protect it from mold and mildew growth. 

Open vents on the foundation walls are quite common in Virginian crawl spaces, but they are only good for letting air and moisture easily enter the crawl space. Any moisture that finds its way through these vents becomes trapped in the crawl space, increasing the relative humidity and potentially leading to mold and mildew growth, water damage, and weakened structures or materials.

Before we use spray foam or foam board to insulate the foundation walls, we cover the interior of the open vents. Precisely cut foamboard pieces are made and fitted into the inside of the vents. Then we seal any cracks or openings with can foam.

The 10-mil vapor barrier used to cover the dirt floor is not installed properly. Cracks and openings can be seen at every pier, wall, and pipe. Moisture from the earth is still able to seep through these small openings and gaps and affect the relative humidity. The vapor barrier does not even cover the outside grade through the foundation walls. Outside moisture from the earth can seep through the porous walls.

The 10-mil vapor barrier was replaced with a heavy-duty CleanSpace liner, which was sealed around all piers and pipes, and mechanically fastened to the foundation wall six to eight inches above outside grade. With the spray foam on the walls, the CleanSpace helps to protect the crawl space from any moisture from the earth, and with an antimicrobial built into the 7-layer polyethylene liner, it is better protected from mold and mildew.