CleanSpace Vapor Barrier
This crawl space has been wrapped with a 20-mil CleanSpace liner, a heavy-duty vapor barrier designed to help protect the space from outside interference such as air, moisture, and small pests and critters. This vapor barrier is actively blocking the Earth's moisture from rising into the crawl space, which will help keep the relative humidity down. CleanSpace is a 7-layer Polyethylene liner, much like a pool liner, with an antimicrobial called UltraFresh built into the material. This helps to keep mold and mildew growth from forming on the vapor barrier itself.
Foamax on Foundation Walls
The foundation walls of this crawl space have been covered with a special foamboard called Foamax. It has an R-10 insulation value and acts as both an air barrier and vapor retarder. The foamboard is mechanically fastened to the foundation walls, with all the seams sealed with can foam, to ensure that the outside air and moisture cannot penetrate the crawl space. Without this protection, moisture would seep through the porous cinderblock walls, and affect not only the relative humidity but the air quality as well. The homeowners would experience high energy bills, with their system trying to keep the home warm during the cooler seasons, and the AC attempting to cool their home during the warmer seasons.
Wrapped Piers
The piers in this crawl space are wrapped with the CleanSpace vapor barrier. This ensures that there are no cracks or openings for which the Earth's moisture could rise into the crawl space from the dirt flooring. The vapor barrier cutting off the flow of moisture from the earth also helps to stop the relative humidity from increasing, which could lead to mold and mildew growth on any organic materials in the crawl space, such as the floor joists and subfloor.
SuperSump Drainage System
A SuperSump drainage system was installed in this crawl space at construction to help distribute groundwater from the crawl space away from the home. While this addressed the bulk water issues from the ground and heavy rains, it did not prevent condensation and moisture from damaging the fiberglass insulation or floor joists or prevent mold from growing. Once we added the Foamax and CleanSpace, and sealed the crawl space vents, rim band, and sill plate, and installed a dehumidifier not only was the home protected from bulk water, but it is protected from future moisture damage.
