Crawl Space Encapsulation & Makeover in Essex Fells

Challenge

A realtor had purchased a one-level ranch home with a “Yankee” basement in Essex, NJ. The prior homeowner was an elderly woman and, as often happens with elderly homeowners or those on limited income, the home had fallen into a state of disrepair. 

A so-called “Yankee” basement is a subterranean basement with all four sides completely underground; there is no open daylight side providing direct access to the basement. Rather, to gain access, these basements have an angled cellar door or diamond-plate sidewalk door with steps down below. There are often small windows or window wells. These basements are popular up North, but are rare in more temperate climates. They are useful for storage or workshops, but are generally not finished as a living space. They are more expensive then a crawl space, but less expensive than a walkout or terrace level basement. 

This Essex residence was high uphill, so the basement was above the town’s water table. There was also a crawl space attached to the basement. The crawl space, which contained the essential house plumbing, had a flat slab that was littered with sharp fragments of broken brick and cinder-block making it a challenge to crawl around. Also, like the vast majority of crawl spaces, it was vented. Although common, vented crawl spaces are an extremely poor design. They can lead to a myriad of problems including insect and wildlife infestations, moisture and possible mold problems, and drafts. The new homeowner, who as a realtor was quite knowledgeable about proper home design and preventative maintenance, wanted the crawl space encapsulated to avoid these potential problems and contacted Cowleys Crawl Space Solutions Division.

Solution

Upon arrival, the Crawl Space team conducted a preliminary inspection, double- and triple-checking for any significant issues that might have been overlooked. We grabbed our tools and got to work.

First, we installed pre-cut, no-waste SilverGlo insulation on all of the exterior walls. SliverGlo is an Expanded Polystyrene Foam (EPS) product that contains graphite. it is a lightweight, rigid, and closed-cell insulation that is 24% more efficient than over-the-counter bat and foam insulations. Its closed-cell structure provides minimal water absorption and low vapor permanence. SilverGlo is also coated in a mold-resistant aluminum, naturally enhancing primary sources of light. It increase the luminosity of a single bulb, resulting in instant energy savings! The team installs the SilverGlo using Basement Systems FoamTite fasteners to create a draft and sound barrier that seals in heat and keeps out the cool winter air in the crawl space interior.

Next, we rolled out our thick mold-resistant drainage matting to create a barrier between crawl space and floor, which is a primary entry point of groundwater. Each strip of drainage matting cut out to take into account pillars, jet-outs and plumbing lines. The matting strips are sealed to each other with industrial grade vinyl CleanSpace tape.

Finally, with SilverGlo and drainage matting in place, it's time to “CleanSpace”! We cut our heavy duty 20-mil vinyl vapor barrier, again taking into account the peculiars of the crawl space and set it perpendicular to the drainage matting, taping all strips of the vinyl to each other as well as the SilverGlo walls.

After completing the job, the homeowner informed our techs that he noticed an elimination of the draft problem in his living space right away! In addition to blocking cold drafts, the CleanSpace technology also changes the thermal boundary to the bottom of the house instead of the crawl space ceiling. This results in clean energy and heating/cooling cost savings. “Cleanspacing” your crawl space is a home improvement that makes a home more livable and comfortable for its occupants. Just as important, it acts as an insurance policy against a host of potential problems that homeowners commonly face with crawl spaces. Cleanspacing transforms a damp moisture-filled vented crawl space into a dry, clean, protected environment, and offers homeowners peace of mind since they no longer have to worry about what potential property-damaging problems are festering down below.