The Drying Co. Before & After Photos

Moisture finds its way through porous foundation walls. Common signs are chipping, peeling or bubbling paint, water staining, and efflorescence (a white powdery residue). 

As part of the waterproofing system installed in this basement, CleanSpace is installed on the walls to direct moisture that moves through the poured concrete walls down into the french drain system we installed called WaterGuard. 

The WaterGuard System has been installed around the perimeter of the basement as well as some additional lateral lines throughout the center of the space. 

WaterGuard is a french drain system installed beneath the slab that collects water and directs it to a sump pump where it can be carried away from the home's foundation, making the basement a dry, useable space. 

This basement had an existing sump pump, however, it wasn't keeping up with the water in the space. The system also lacked an air-tight lid, allowing moisture and odors to rise back into the space. 

This pump was replaced with the SuperSump Plus. Housed in a large liner, the SuperSump plus is a 1/3 hp pump atop a clean pump stand that keeps it out of silt and sediment to prevent clogs and is housed in a basin with an air-tight lid and water-watch alarm. The alarm alerts the homeowner if the water in the basin gets too high or if there is a water leak from above, such as a pipe leak or burst hot water heater, that hits the top of the basin. A valve on top of the basin allows water from above in, so that it can drain and be pumped away. 

In addition, the homeowner also opted for the UltraSump Battery Backup which will kick in and operate the pump in case of power failure. 

A homeowner in Richmond, VA was experiencing flood within their basement and had us install a Super Sump to help remove any excess water. The Super Sump has an efficient 1/3 cast iron pump on top of a CleanPump stand with an air-tight lid covering the sump basin. It is also equipped with a WaterWatch alarm system in case the pump fails or the water exceeds its capabilities. A drain line is connected to guide any water collected out of the basement and to a predetermined location on the homeowner's property.

Before: The foundation walls of this crawl space are covered in efflorescence, which indicates that water infiltration has been present for this home. Efflorescence occurs when water from the outside seeps through these porous cinderblock walls, bringing all the inner salt and sediment of the blocks to the surface and leaving these stains and marks upon the walls. The water that finds its way into the crawl space can elevate the relative humidity, leading to wood rot, mold and mildew growth, and material damage.

After: The crawl space walls have now been insulated and sealed with Foamax foam board pieces. These 1½ inch boards act as air barriers and vapor retarders, protecting the crawl space from outside influence. They are mechanically fastened to the walls, while the cracks are sealed with can foam. A 2-inch viewing strip is left on the top for termite inspectors, and the bottom is attached to the 20-mil CleanSpace vapor barrier. The crawl space is much more protected from outside air and moisture.