Crawl Space Repair Before & After Photos

Our team helped this Richmond, VA homeowner address concerns about mold in their basement. They treated the joists, wiped down the wood, air-sealed the area, and installed a dehumidifier. 

The original liner installed in this Henrico crawl space was a flimsy 6-mil vapor barrier. There were gaps in the liner, exposing the crawl space to moisture rising from the earth. This moisture can increase the relative humidity, which can lead to mold or mildew growth, condensation, and higher energy bills. We replaced this old liner with our 10-mil CleanSpace Light vapor barrier, which gets wrapped around all piers and mechanically fastened and sealed six to eight inches above outside grade on the foundation walls. CleanSpace will help protect the crawl space from moisture rising from the earth and comes with an antimicrobial, called UltraFresh, built into the material to help mitigate mold growth on the liner, itself.

This Henrico, VA client contacted us because they wanted to address the insulation in their crawl space. Moisture had caused damage to the fiberglass insulation and it was sagging and falling to the ground. The unsealed, vented crawl space was allowing moisture to flood in and cause damage to the insulation as well as mold and mildew growth. 

The homeowner wanted to not only reinsulate the crawl space, but they also didn't want to do it again in a few years. After reviewing their options, they opted to encapsulate the space. The crawl space was cleaned out and treated with an antimicrobial. Then, a new vapor barrier is installed sealing the crawl space off from the earth's moisture. Our team then air seals the space by blocking and sealing all vents and sealing any penetrations through the foundation wall to the outside. 

Next closed-cell spray foam is applied to the foundation walls and rim band. A SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier is installed to control the relative humidity and help prevent future microbial growth. Finally, an interior friction-fit door is installed to air seal and insulate behind the exterior door, and an Everlast exterior crawl space door is installed on the outside. 

This wood crawl space access has been replaced with The Turtl™. The Turtl™ will never rot, corrode, or need paint, unlike the old wood access. It provides a clean entry point into the crawl space for homeowners and service persons.

The porous foundation walls on this Henrico, Virginia crawl space were left exposed, allowing moisture to seep through them and raise the relative humidity. The chalky-white efflorescence covering the crawl space walls indicates moisture infiltration. The open vents lining these walls also allowed the outside air and moisture to seep through them, which added to the overall relative humidity of the crawl space. To protect the crawl space from the outside, our installers sealed the open vents with precisely cut foam board pieces, which were placed within the vents and sealed with can foam. Then, our installers sprayed 1.5 inches of closed-cell spray foam insulation over the foundation walls. This amount of insulation has an R-10 value and will act as an air barrier and vapor retarder, protecting the crawl space from the outside air and moisture. A two-inch viewing strip is left at the top of the wall for termite inspectors.