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This homeowner contacted us with concerns about the joists in their crawl space. At the inspection, we found damaged and falling insulation, mold growing on the floor joists, and high humidity. To mitigate the problems under the home, and prevent them from reoccurring, we sealed the crawl space. The space was cleaned out, the mold was remediated, then we installed a new vapor barrier, sealed all the vents, rim & band, sill plate, and any holes through the foundation to outside. Next, we installed insulation on the foundation walls and installed a dehumidifier to regulate the relative humidity and protect the home from moisture damage.
This homeowner had concerns about water entering their basement, especially during the heavy rainfall the Virginia Peninsula and Richmond have been seeing. The solution was to install a complete basement waterproofing system. CleanSpace was installed covering the below-grade portion of the basement walls to direct any water infiltration into the drainage system. The WaterGuard Drainage System was installed to collect any water entering the basement that was directed downward by the CleanSpace and direct it toward the SuperSump System. The SuperSump System is a 1/3 hp sump pump, that pumps water out of the basement and away from the home. In these photos, you can see the bottom of the stairs in the basement. The before photo shows staining on the walls and a collection of silt and sediment where the floor meets the wall. these are clear signs that water is entering the basement. Since the basement is used for storage and laundry this poses a threat to the homeowner's valuables and washer and dryer. In the after photo, you can see the dark line of cement around the perimeter of the basement where the WaterGuard system has been installed and the bright white walls that are lined with CleanSpace.
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.