Crawl Space Repair Before & After Photos

Encapsulation

In order to combat the moisture issues they were facing, these homeowners originally had someone come in and install a standard vapor barrier. Over the years, the same problems persisted, and if you look at the before image, it isn't hard to tell why. We found the barrier withered, torn, and exposed. It was time for an upgrade! That is where our CleanSpace Liner comes in. This liner is much more durable and resistant than your average vapor barrier. Rather than just being placed on the ground, the CleanSpace Liner is fastened to each part of the crawl space, including the walls and supports. It also works together as part of a complete system with some of our other crawl space products, including the dehumidifier you can see in the after image. These combined create the encapsulation system, which is made to fight moisture from all forms and directions - intrusion, standing, and humidity.

There's a pretty massive difference between these two vapor barriers, and it isn't just visually. The thin material the previous liner was made of obviously wasn't enough to withstand the conditions of this crawl space, resulting in the torn, dirty mess you see in the first photo. In the second photo, is the CleanSpace Liner we replaced it with. It is a much thicker, much more durable 12mil liner. Rips and tears will be much harder to come by in this liner. You'll also notice that it isn't just tossed onto the ground, but secured to both the ground and walls of the crawl space, creating an actual barrier against each entry point for intruding moisture. And of course, it is just nicer to look at!

This home was experiencing severe moisture issues in the crawlspace causing mold and musty smells. Andrew Gallagher inspected the home and found the wood to be holding 15-60% moisture along the joists. This is dangerous because it will cause toxic mold and rot to from on the wooden foundation. It especially thrives in a damp, dark atmosphere, like under your house. Before this issue got worse, our team came in and totally dried and cleaned out the crawlspace. We installed our sump pump in the lowest spot to collect the ground water, then put our vapor barrier CleanSpace liner in and up the walls, and finally connected our dehumidifier to the system to get the air fresh and clean. Our system totally regulates the crawlspace humidity and moisture content, keeping the home stable, dry, and clean for years and years to come. 

Buckling floors had become a frequent problem for these homeowners. Once replaced, not even two weeks had gone by before he noticed the same issues coming back. In order to keep these floors from buckling again, we'd have to tackle the actual source - crawl space moisture. As you can see in the first image, this crawl space had been left completely exposed. Moisture from the ground and openings to the outside contributed to the high humidity that was affecting these floors so quickly. In order to prevent this, we sealed off the crawl space and installed in our encapsulation system. The second image might look like a whole new space, but it is the exact same spot on the underside of this home, now fitted with our high quality CleanSpace Liner. This barrier, along with our crawl space dehumidification and sump pump systems, creates a dry and managed space, where humidity can't thrive, and moisture problems are eliminated. These floors have never been safer!