Photo Album: Encapsulating A Muddy & Wet Crawl Space in Beach Haven, NJ
Full of Water & Mud
As you can see, this dirt floor crawl space was in bad shape. There were puddles of water and mud throughout the area. Dirt floor crawl spaces attract and absorb moisture. Once the dirt dries, it causes humidity levels to rise and can lead to mold and mildew issues (fortunately, there was no mold or mildew in the crawl space).
Laid Down a Drainage Matting
First, we removed all of the debris out of the crawl space and properly disposed of them. Next, we added a drainage matting, cleaned off all the beams in the crawl space, and installed SilverGlo™ on the walls of the crawl space. SilverGlo™ is a waterproof foam insulation that seals the walls from outside moisture and humidity.
Drainage Matting
The drainage matting is a dimpled plastic mat that allows all excess moisture to work its way over...
Brand New SmartSump™ Crawl Space Sump Pump
...to the new SmartSump™ Crawl Space Sump Pump we installed. The SmartSump™ Crawl Space Sump Pump protects vulnerable crawl spaces by combining an intelligent WaterWatch® alarm system with a sump pump that's specifically designed for crawl spaces. Additionally, both the lid and floor drain are specially designed to prevent collected water from evaporating back out into your crawl space. Any water from a plumbing leak or sump failure must first pass by the alarm and will then drain down into the sump. The alarm will sound immediately if this happens, so you'll know you have a leak in your crawl space.
UltraSump® Battery Backup
We also installed an UltraSump® battery backup sump pump. In the event of loss of power, the UltraSump® battery backup will automatically kick in and begin removing water from the basement, preventing a flood. The battery backup also comes with an alarm to alert the homeowner in case of power failure, sounding when the backup pump is running and silencing when power is restored.
The Heavy Duty Vapor Barrier
Next, we installed a vapor barrier. A vapor barrier is a heavy-duty, 20-mil 7-ply sandwich of high and low-density polyethylene with a polyester-cord reinforcement. By encapsulating the crawl space & installing the vapor barrier over the foundation walls and floor will create a continuous air and moisture barrier. The vapor barrier is extremely durable and is treated with an antimicrobial to prevent mold.
Totally Transformed Crawl Space
Lastly, to control the humidity levels in the crawl space, we installed a Sedona dehumidifier. This is a powerful, energy-efficient, commercial-grade dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run. Now the homeowners have a clean and healthy crawl space as well as an additional area in their home for storage!