Before & After Photos

The worst thing about a crawlspace is that it isn’t livable and so it normally doesn’t get much attention. This translate to a crawlspace looking much like the one in the “before” photo. Now, this Greer, South Carolina crawlspace in particular has had moisture issues for a long time thanks to this unintentional neglect. The issues were steadily building and attempting to fall into the other rooms before we were contacted.

When we finally came out, we were able to offer the solution you see in the “after” photo. The crawlspace actually looks transformed. Along the dirt floor and around the support piers, we’ve installed CleanSpace. This material is our patented liner used as a vapor barrier to protect against invading moisture.

It truly makes a difference  even in the worst of crawlspaces.

This homeowner had been dealing with water intrusion in their crawlspace for quite awhile before they even thought of calling us. They even had a thick liner already installed when we went to the home. Unfortunately it wasn't thick enough to really prevent water and water vapor from getting through, but the biggest issue with it was that it wasn't properly sealed. This means that water vapor could freely get into the crawlspace.

The before picture gives a pretty good look at the liner that had previously been installed and the overall state of the crawlspace. The photo shows pretty clearly how the liner is not sealed in any way, and is only held down by a few rocks. This crawlspace is definitely in need of encapsulation, mainly because of the water intrusion through the walls, which can also be seen in the photo. There is a much darker area towards the bottom of the walls, as well as several areas of efflorescence (dried minerals). 

The after photo shows a much different story than before. In this picture the CleanSpace has been installed (as well as all of the other products). The CleanSpace completely covers the floor and walls of this crawlspace, providing a much cleaner and nicer look. Not only does it look better, but it also protects the crawlspace from moisture and the dangers that go along with it.

Many people have these thin, black crawlspace liners in their crawlspace, some thinking that this could help out with moisture issues in the crawlspace. However these liners are much too thin to be effective and often aren't sealed correctly either. The CleanSpace liner that we use is 20 millimeters thick, which is much thicker than most of the plastic sheeting that can be bought at a hardware store. Arguably the more important part is how the liner is sealed to the walls of the crawlspace.

The before photo shows what the crawlspace before it was encapsulated with CleanSpace liner. The previous liner that had been installed didn't provide any protection against moisture in the crawlspace. One of the most obvious is that the liner is completely covered in dust and mud, which is certainly something that we don't want. The liner is also nowhere near the wall and is no way sealed. 

The after photo shows a much different story. This photo was taken after our crew had finished installing the CleanSpace liner in the crawlspace. You can also see that the insulation in the crawlspace had been removed. It was removed because all of the mold that had grown on the insulation and in the floor joists of the crawlspace. Insulation is extremely absorbent so it soaks up all of the moisture in the crawlspace and mold can begin to grow. 

This home was in the middle of being constructed in Greer, SC. The home owner had had work done by All-Dry of the Carolinas in his old home and was wanting to protect his new home from the start. Instead of waiting for something to happen once the home was built, the homeowner called us at All-Dry to install a total encapsulation of the crawlspace as preventative action.

                Our All-Dry of the Carolinas team started the project by installing our Silver Glo insulation. Silver Glo was installed as insulation for the crawlspace to prevent heat from leaving the house. Since heat moves from more to less, the Silver Glo works to keep the heat inside the home to keep the crawlspace and floors above warm. But Silver Glo isn’t your typical insulation; it is EPS foam with graphite infused into the foam to raise the insulation value by 24% over the standard EPS foam. Along with the graphite infused foam, it is covered in a shiny radiant barrier that reflects head back inside.

                Once the Silver Glo was installed our All-Dry team wrapped the crawlspace with CleanSpace. CleanSpace is a 20 mil thick liner that is laid across the crawlspace floor. This liner works as a barrier to keep moister that is produced from the ground out of the crawlspace.

In addition to the CleanSpace a TripleSafe Sump System was added to the crawlspace as a way of pushing excess water that enters from outside. The TripleSafe System has two different pumps along with a battery backup UltraSump. If the first pump fails or cannot keep up with the flow of water, the second pump will kick in to help out making sure that the water is getting expelled from the crawlspace. In the case of a power outage, the UltraSump battery backup will kick in until power is restored to the system.

                To finish up the process our All-Dry team installed a Aprilaire dehumidifier. The Aprilaire pulls the moisture from the air and pushes it into a condensate pump where the water is flushed from the crawlspace.

                Together with all of these products our All-Dry of the Carolinas team was able to install a perfect prevention plan to keep this new home safe and dry.

Here at All-Dry of the Carolinas we service many areas in SC, NC, and GA. One of our local areas that we service a lot is Greer, SC. Greer is located near the base of the mountains in South Carolina. Being at the base of the mountains usually results in thunderstorms during the summer months. As the hot air from the south rises, it meets the cold air that is coming off of the mountains; this is what causes so many thunderstorms in the SC upstate during the summer. This hot air that reacts with the cold mountain air is also the cause of high moisture levels in the air. Hot and humid air is speckled with moisture particles that are floating around. Since hot air moves to cold, whenever this air finds a cool crawlspace to move into, it takes its chance. When the amount of moisture moves into the crawl space it can cause foundation damage, mold, odors, increased heating and cooling bills, and pest.

In this Greer crawl space, there was a lot of moisture and water. As stated above, this can lead to negative effects on the home. When the homeowner realized how bad the situation was he called us at All-Dry of the Carolinas to help fix his problem.

In the before picture you see a dirty crawl space that has wet floors and high moisture levels. In the after pictures you can see that the crawl space has been completely encapsulated.