Unbelievable Crawl Space makeover in Toms River, NJ

A three-man crew from the Cowleys Home Improvement team was sent to a home in Toms River, NJ. As often happens in homes situated in areas with high water tables, especially after periods of heavy rain or snowmelt, this home had a significant problem with groundwater seepage. The rising water table creates hydrostatic pressure against the foundation. This pressure is so powerful that it can force water into the home by exploiting existing cracks or creating new ones. Also soil around the home perimeter, because of the original excavation work, tends to be looser, more absorbent, and expansive. When soil expands, it creates lateral (sideways) pressure against the foundation and just like hydrostatic pressure, lateral pressure can cause foundation damage and create leaks. These are natural forces that can cause problems over time, so having groundwater seepage in your basement or crawl space does not mean that your home was poorly constructed. Any type of foundation can wind up with water seepage issues once foundation cracks start to form on the floor or wall. There can also be water seepage in known ‘weak spots” that allow seepage like window wells and the cove joint where the foundation wall meets the footing.

As this homeowner found out, an unfortunate byproduct of groundwater entering a crawl space is mold growth. The homeowner realized there was a mold problem in the crawl space because the musty smell of mold had permeated the home. 

We first resolved the mold problem and then to effectively deal with future groundwater intrusions we installed two workhorse “smart pumps” that tie into a discharge line.

This homeowner was looking for an effective long-term solution to his chronically damp crawl space to avoid future mold problems. To do this, we installed a thick mold-resistant drainage matting and TerraBlock floor insulation that is specifically designed for the challenging environment of crawl spaces. This durable insulation not only adds energy efficiency to the home, but also acts as a vapor barrier. Next, we installed SilverGlo insulation on all of the crawl space’s exterior walls. SliverGlo is a lightweight, closed-cell insulation that is far superior to over-the-counter batt and foam insulations. With Silverglo’s closed-cell structure, there is minimal water absorption and low vapor permanence. We then installed CleanSpace crawl space vent covers over the crawl space vents to block outside air from entering the crawl space. Made out of durable plastic, they never need to be painted and there is no issue of the vent covers rotting or rusting. With the SilverGlo insulation, drainage matting, and vent covers in place, we installed a heavy-duty 20-mil CleanSpace vinyl vapor barrier. This vapor barrier is an engineered film made of layers of high density and low density polyethylene.

Finally, to complete the crawl space encapsulation, we needed to address dehumidification, which is the most important long-term preventative measure for controlling dangerous crawl space moisture. For this Toms River home, we installed a commercial-grade SaniDry CX dehumidifier. These powerful maintenance-free dehumidifiers are much more powerful than traditional dehumidifiers.