Colorado Crawl Space Before & After Photos

This cinderblock foundation wall had active groundwater seepage due to the hydrostatic pressure of the earth. We removed all falling insulation & debris, remediated the mold from the wooden joists & subfloor, isolated the damp earth and foundation walls with the 20 mil CleanSpace Encapsulation System, air sealed perimeter and subfloor penetrations, and re-insulated the foundation walls with an R19 White vinyl face batt blanket insulation. These new homeowners shouldn't have to worry about their crawlspace ever again!

We cleaned out the construction debris & excavated earth as necessary to install drainage matting and our sealed CleanSpace Crawlspace Encapsulation System. The next step is to have the lowest living space of the home tested for Radon - If it tests high we can install a fan and stack to expel the Radon past the roofline into the atmosphere. We recommend testing for Radon at least every 2 years.  

Most times when a home is built on the side of a mountain with elevation change - the foundation wall has a "Step Down" where there is no footing. Over time this allows an entry point for water intrusion causing erosion of the surrounding earth into the crawl space. This particular crawl space had both moisture intrusion and soil erosion which caused some structural damage to the stud wall in contact with the damp earth - which was replaced. We excavated a 30' trench from the step down and downhill 30' away from the structure to divert groundwater with a gravity-fed drain instead of installing a sump pump. After encapsulation this crawl space is in good shape! 

This dirty crawlspace needed a complete makeover. This is the main reason for doing the crawlspace right the first time! A cheap solution to crawlspace problems is not cost effective when we have to tear everything out a few years later in order to remediate mold and rodent infestation. To effectively control the ground water we installed a drainage system to a new airtight SmartSump Pump System to discharge water 10' past the foundation on the exterior. Secondly, we installed drainage matting under our 20 mil cord reinforced CleanSpace Crawlspace Encapsulation System & properly fastened and sealed it around the perimeter and central footings. Lastly, we stuffed copper wire mesh and air sealed the perimeter rim assembly and subfloor penetrations and reinsulated the subfloor for protection against rodent intrusion and heat loss prevention. This would have been a lot easier if it was done right during construction, but now the homeowners rest assured their home is protected from the ground up! 

During a real estate transaction - an inspection turns up what needs to be fixed with a property. This crawlspace was affected by a flood caused by a drywall screw in the pumbing in the bathroom above. The existing Radon System was not properly inslalled - the fan was in the crawlsapce (potential for radon to leak from the fan), the liner was sealed over the drywall and studs (trapping moisture and creating conditions conducive to microbial growth/structural damage), and the exteriror Radon vent pipe was only terminated 2' above the ground next to a window (potential for back drafting Radon into the home). We removed the moldy drywall firewall & insulation, cleaned and dried the wooden structural elements, installed a proper Radon/moisture mitigation system - replacing the liner and sealing it to the concrete, moving the fan to the exteriror of the structure, and running the vent stack to terminate above the roof. We replaced the fire wall with 5/8" drywall, closed the vent and air sealed the perimeter rim assembly, and reinsulated the subfloor. We also installed a SmartDrain with a WaterWatch alarm to notify the future homowners of a plumbing leak. We were able to solve all these issues, which allowed the buyer and seller to close on the propery.