Healthy Spaces Before & After Photos

A wet basement is never fun. Not only does it create a lot of work for you to clean up, but it really limits what you can do with your below grade, basement space! It's impossible to finish the space if it floods, especially if you've finished it before and had massive damage. You don't want to store anything down there that you really care about because it might get wet. Suddenly, you lose out on anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of your overall square footage because your basement is wet.

This homeowner decided that he would like to be able to use his basement as a storage area without concerns about flooding. No more wet basement for him! He opted to have Healthy Spaces come in and install an interior perimeter drain system, sometimes referred to as a french drain system) to prevent the basement from ever flooding again. In addition, he opted to have CleanSpace Wall System installed over all his basement walls to direct water into the Healthy Spaces Waterguard perimeter drainage system. The CleanSpace Wall system will keep water and water vapor from leaking in the walls and into the basement. He will drastically reduce his relative humidity, lowering his risk for mold growth, musty smells, and water damage. The Waterguard Perimeter drainage system will direct any water intrusion into a SuperSump sump pump to be removed from the basement. Phew! What a lifesaver!

This 100-year-old home that our client was in the process of purchasing in Evansville, IN, had a basement that was showing clear signs of water damage. Evidence of leaking water and excessive moisture in the basement posed a threat to the integrity of the home’s foundation, not to mention creating an uncomfortable, damp living space. Without proper waterproofing, the situation was only going to get worse over time, causing potential structural damage and a higher risk of mold growth.

To address these concerns, we installed our SuperSump Pump System and CleanSpace Wall Vapor Barrier.

1. SuperSump Pump System
To effectively manage water intrusion, we installed our SuperSump® Pump System. This powerful sump pump features a Zoeller® ⅓ horsepower cast-iron pump, capable of moving an impressive 2,220 gallons of water per hour at an 8-foot head. The SuperSump® is designed to keep the basement dry by efficiently removing water and redirecting it away from the foundation, preventing further damage.

2. CleanSpace Wall Vapor Barrier

To address the moisture issue, we installed the CleanSpace® Wall Vapor Barrier. This 100% waterproof plastic vapor barrier is the perfect solution for unfinished basement walls. Not only does it direct any water seepage down into the drainage system, but it also prevents future moisture buildup and mold growth. The bright white appearance of CleanSpace® Wall enhances the lighting in the basement, while its durability ensures it will never peel, chip, or flake like traditional paints or sealants.

The basement is now dry, safe, and protected from future water intrusion. The bright, clean walls give the basement a fresh look and provide the perfect foundation if the homeowners choose to finish the space down the line. Best of all, the homeowner now has peace of mind knowing that their basement and foundation are shielded from the elements.

One of the most important features of any waterproofing system is a reliable, properly installed discharge line. A discharge line needs to insure that the water is removed from the crawlspace without clogging, freezing, or allowing the water back into the crawlspace.

In these pictures you can see that the discharge line is going far out into the homeowner's side yard to discharge the water over 30' from the basement foundation wall. This will keep the water from flowing back into the basement and creating a constant problem.

In addition, this discharge line has an IceGuard at the point where the discharge line exists the basement. An IceGuard will keep the discharge line from clogging or freezing during the winter months.

As you can see in the Before picture, the Healthy Spaces team has carefully removed the existing sod and placed it on black plastic, then they have dug out the discharge line and piled that soil on the black plastic as well. This will make it extremely easy for the crew to restore the yard.

In the After picture, you can see, or barely see, where the discharge line was installed. The dirt was replaced and tamped down, then the sod was replaced over the line as well. Once the sod reestablishes its rootbase, the discharge line will be invisible to the naked eye.

Here, you can see a nasty, old vapor barrier that has torn and become covered in mold.  Not only that, but the barrier itself has pulled away from the walls and wrinkled up to the point that it is not functional.  The homeowners noticed that their mold problem had reoccurred and that the relative humidity in the crawlspace was still too high.  They opted to contact Healthy Spaces and have a free estimate performed.  During the estimate and evaluation process, the homeowners elected to have CleanSpace engineered film installed because of its great warranty and durability.  Now, they have isolated their crawlspace from the outside air, reduced their overall relative humidity, and created a conditioned crawlspace.  All in all, they have been impressed by lower heating and cooling bills, a more comfortable home, and a brighter, cleaner crawlspace!

Homeowners in Evansville, IN were looking at purchasing a home with a crawl space that had issues of groundwater intrusion, relative humidity, and was causing mold growth. 

In the before photo, you can clearly see the fungus growing on the wooden subfloor joists of an Evansville, IN crawl space. The fungus is growing and slowly decomposing the subfloor joist. If left alone over time, the problem could compromise the structural integrity of the subfloor joist. Thankfully, the homeowners were able to work out a deal with the seller who elected to completely destroy the fungus and have it properly removed by Healthy Spaces. 

In the second photo, you can see that the fungus removal has been completed on the subfloor joist. Each joist was individually scrubbed and cleaned on all sides in order to kill the fungus.