Photo Album: Turning This Messy Crawl Space Into an Energy Efficient One in Martinsville, NJ

It Was a Mess

As you can see, the crawl space was a mess. There was debris everywhere and the insulation was old and falling down.

Plus it Was a Dirt Floor

Not to mention, it was a dirt floor crawl space. The problem with dirt floor crawl spaces is that they 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).

Remove the Debris and Install Drainage Matting

First, we removed all the debris and old insulation, leveled the ground for proper draining, and installed drainage matting.

What's the Drainage Matting?

The drainage matting is a dimpled plastic mat that allows all excess moisture to work its way over to...

The New SmartSump™

...to the 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.

Now For the Vapor Barrier

Next, we installed a vapor barrier, which is a heavy-duty, 20-mil 7-ply sandwich of high and low-density polyethylene with a polyester-cord reinforcement. It cannot tear and is extremely durable.

Creates A Continuous Barrier

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 also treated with an antimicrobial to prevent mold.

Now for the Sedona Dehumidifier

We also 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.

Last Comes the Everlast™

Lastly, we installed an Everlast™ door to replace the damaged wooden door to the crawl space. An Everlast™ door is made from ½-in.-thick PVC plastic that will never warp, crack, shrink, require maintenance or painting and will prevent any unwanted pests and moisture from entering the crawl space.