Rod decided to repair his damp crawl space to prevent serious health and structural issues

Challenge

Rod Martin, owner of Complete Basement Systems of CO, recently purchased a new townhome and noticed that the dirt crawl space below his home was allowing moisture to enter the living space above through the floor joists. The porous concrete walls were also letting in water and cold air.

Having consulted hundreds of homeowners on crawl space water problems, Rod knew that if left untreated, this could lead to serious issues, including mold growth, radon gas exposure and possibly structural issues. In addition to mold, Rod was mainly concerned about wasted energy and unusable space.

Solution

Since mold growth is such a big issue in a damp crawl space, debris and organic materials are first removed from the dirt floor in order to create a clean environment that's no longer conducive to mold. Our crawl space repair experts then installed drainage matting over the dirt floor to to create a drainage space that helps water find its way to the drain lines. Next, TerraBlock insulation, with a heat resistance value of R-4, was installed over the drainage matting to prevent heat loss and improve energy efficiency. The walls and rim joists were then covered with SilverGlo R-11 rated insulation, which is infused with graphite particles and has a radiant barrier that reflects heat back into the crawl space. The professionals also installed a CleanSpace 20-mil vapor barrier (also known as a "liner"), which seals out moisture and helps improve air quality in the crawl space. The CleanSpace liner is also treated with an antimicrobial finish that protects against mold and mildew growth. Finally, the CleanSpace system is fastened to the SilverGlo, creating a completely encapsulated space.

All of Basement Systems' products are designed specifically to handle water and moisture problems that occur in basement and crawl space environments. Each of the solutions installed is made of inorganic material and will not allow mold growth.

Now that his crawl space has been cleaned, insulated, and sealed, Rod has been saving an average of $56 on his monthly energy bill; that's a savings of approximately 22%.

Rod can now use his crawl space for additional storage and no longer has to worry about a damp crawl space affecting his health or his home!

Project Summary

Products Used: Drainage Matting, R-4 rated TerraBlock, R-11 rated SilverGlo, CleanSpace 20 mil. Liner