Encapsulating a Virginia Beach, VA Crawl Space
Challenge
This homeowner in Virginia Beach, VA, called us out to inspect their crawl space's insulation, so we sent out one of our experienced Home Performance Advisors. Upon inspection, our advisor noticed that the crawl space had many other issues, such as mold and mildew growth, an insufficient vapor barrier, debris and junk littering the crawl space floor, and exposed foundation walls. Our advisor found many chunks of fiberglass batts lying on the floor, indicating that it had absorbed moisture and became too heavy to sit between the floor joists on the crawl space ceiling. Efflorescence was discovered on the foundation walls and outer piers, which is also a tell-tale sign of water intrusion through the porous walls, and these walls were lined with open vents, which allow the outside air and moisture to freely flow into the crawl space where it becomes trapped, affecting the crawl space's environment. Our advisor created a proposal to help rectify many of these issues and seal off the crawl space from outside influence. Once an agreement was reached, the homeowner signed a proposal, placed a deposit, and scheduled to have our team install many solutions.
Solution
The first step to improving the crawl space was for our installers to remove the old vapor barrier and any debris from the space. Once the area had been cleared, the floor joists and wood structures were sprayed down with an antimicrobial called Shockwave. The Shockwave eliminates mold spores but does not remove the staining that mold growth can leave behind. After the antimicrobial spraying was completed, our installers laid down a 20-mil vapor barrier, called CleanSpace, over the dirt flooring of the crawl space. This heavy-duty liner is wrapped around all piers, sealed with a special vinyl tape, and mechanically fastened to the foundation walls six to eight inches above the outside grade. The CleanSpace vapor barrier will help to protect the crawl space from moisture rising from the earth and from seeping through the porous brick walls. Once the vapor barrier is put in place, our installers fastened a unique foam board, called SilverGlo, over the foundation walls of the crawl space. The open vents lining these walls are also covered with cut pieces of this foam board. The SilverGlo will act as an air barrier and vapor retarder while providing the crawl space with an R-10 insulation value. Moving the insulation from the floor joists to the foundation walls will move the crawl space into the conditioned space of the home and will prevent cold air from rising into the floors above during the winter season. The next product installed was a vinyl Friction Fit door that's fastened within the crawl space entrance. This door will not become warped by the outside elements like a metal or wood door. And finally, a SaniDry Sedona was placed within the crawl space. This energy-efficient dehumidifier will circulate dry air around the crawl space and monitor the relative humidity of the space. A condensation pump was connected to the Sedona to remove any collected water from the crawl space via a hose line. With these solutions in place, the homeowners can feel comfortable knowing that their crawl space is safe from any outside moisture or influence.
