Crawl Space Makeover in Princeton, IN

Tuesday, July 10th, 2018 by Kelsey Bullerdick

Challenge

Sharon B. of Princeton, Indiana, had a damp, wet, leaking crawl space that could not keep water and moisture out. She also began noticing an odor in her living area. Sharon called Healthy Spaces, where Design Specialist Billy Glenn, came out to design a solution based on Sharon's needs.

Sharon needed a solution that would keep her crawl space dry, mold-free, and would save her money on her electric bill.

Solution

The best solution for Sharon was to install a variety of products to keep her crawl space dry and mold-free. Healthy Spaces installed a CleanSpace® vapor barrier, SilverGlo™ insulation wall panels, SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier, an EZ Flow Drain which will direct water to the SmartSump pump system. Outside Healthy Spaces installed IceGuard and a LawnScape outlet at the end of the discharge line.

Foreman, Robbie Stoutenberg, and his team came out to do the installation in the crawl space. First, Robbie and his team needed to perform fungus remediation by applying a cleaning product and scrubbing the wood.

Next, Robbie and his team began installing the EZ Flow Drain, which was installed around the perimeter of the crawl space. Any water entering into the crawl space will enter the EZ Flow Drain which will then direct it to the sump pump. The EZ Flow Drain was installed in the ground and covered with dirt.

Without a reliable sump pump system in your crawl space, it's vulnerable to groundwater. Healthy Spaces addressed this by installing the SmartSump™ Crawl Space Sump Pump. The sump pump comes with a reliable liner, cast iron pump, airtight lid with an airtight floor drain, and a WaterWatch alarm system. For even more protection, we installed the UltraSump battery backup system. Any water from a plumbing leak must first pass by the alarm and then will drain down into the sump. The alarm with sound so you know you have a leak in your crawl space.

The team then installed the SilverGlo™ insulation wall panels. These panels have highly effective graphite-impregnated insulation with a built-in radiant heat barrier surface. This gives your crawl space walls an unbroken plane of R-11 insulation. SilverGlo also creates a vapor barrier on the crawl space walls that keeps moisture from making its way into the crawl space.

The CleanSpace vapor barrier was installed over the SilverGlo™ insulation. This liner installed on the walls and floors, preventing water vapor and humidity from passing through. The combination of the SilverGlo™ insulation panels and the CleanSpace vapor barrier will create a strong barrier to heat and cold air, keeping the heat out in the summer, and cold air out in the winter.

For maximum moisture protection, the team also installed a SaniDry Sedona, with a discharge line to empty the water from the home without the need to empty the machine. To protect the discharge line from getting clogged or frozen we installed the IceGuard system.

Project Summary

Design Specialist: Billy Glenn

Installing Contractor: Healthy Spaces

Lead Foreman: Robbie Stoutenberg

A look at the general area of the crawl space. The previous barrier was able to cover the uneven crawl space floor, but it did not protect it from moisture.

Here you can see the accumulated water on the floor. This crawl space was damp and humid, causing the ultimate conditions for mold to grow.

If mold growth becomes severe enough, it can cause structural damage in a crawl space.

Crawl spaces with open vents allows moisture to get in. Warm humid air that enter through the vents during summer, adds moisture to the crawl space, making it hard to air condition the house.

Again, another look at the crawl space. You can see the wet areas on the wall and wet spots still on the plastic.

Here you can see the beginning of installing the EZ Drain Flow.

The silver on the wall are our SilverGlo panels. The CleanSpace liner isolates the home from the earth completely.

The CleanSpace liner has an antimicrobial additive called UltraFresh which keeps it free from mold growth.

The sump pump gets water out of the crawl space and away from your house. Installing IceGuard outside of your home, automatically ejects the water away from the exterior wall in the even that the pipe freezes.