Always wet crawl space repair issue solved in Toms River
Challenge
A homeowner in Toms River, who lives about 30 ft from the Barnegat Bay, contacted Crawl Space Solutions by Cowleys to take care of his chronically wet crawl space issues. Because of the proximity to the Bay, this crawl space was wet all the time. It had at least an inch of standing water throughout the year due to groundwater seepage.
Our crew successfully transformed his crawl space, making his water problems a distant memory. First, we installed a smart sump pump in order to alleviate the constant groundwater issue. A high-quality reliable sump pump is critical for any effective crawl space waterproofing system. While dehumidifiers remove the excess moisture out of the air, you need a sump pump that does the heavy lifting and removing the bulk water that is sloshing around on the floor of your crawl space. These sump pumps are designed to handle high water volume, long run times, and resist clogging. They also have with a power backup, so they will continue to work even if you lose power. The pumps are housed in a durable plastic sump pump liner with an airtight cover so you don’t have to deal with an ugly open hole that can attract insects and rodents.
Next, we did a full CleanSpace install to encapsulate the crawl space. The CleanSpace vapor barrier is more than a regular liner. It’s an engineered film made of layers of high density and low density polyethylene. With its polyester cord reinforcement, the barrier is mechanically fastened to the walls., so when, on occasion, you or a repair person need to access your crawl space, this barrier will not pull off or tear should someone walk across it. These barriers are made with an antimicrobial additive and UV inhibitors and stabilizers, so they will not erode and break down prematurely. The barriers are available in various thickness mils. For this Toms River homeowner, we used 12-mil thick “pinkie” rolls on the walls and pillars. This CleanSpace install also included drainage matting, a sump pump discharge line with a protective ice guard, and a special Everlast vent cover that closes off outside air from entering the crawl space, but these covers still provide for easy access. They open with the twist of a few knobs.
Finally, we installed a Sanidri CX dehumidifier. These compact dehumidifiers are specifically designed for crawl spaces and mid-sized basements, and can operate in temperatures as low as 40 degrees F. They are much more powerful than traditional dehumidifiers, with a capacity to extract close to 14 gallons of water per day at 80 degrees F. These dehumidifiers do not require human intervention. They operate automatically, turning on and off according to a built-in hygrometer that measures indoor relative humidity. These machines don’t have a water tray; instead, they connect directly into the drainage system so they never need to be emptied.
This Toms River homeowner was pleased with his new crawl space encapsulation and dehumidification system. Over time, untreated water problems will cause significant property damage. Crawl space encapsulation was the right decision for this homeowner to protect his home investment and improve the indoor air quality for his family.
Solution
Our crew successfully transformed his crawl space, making his water problems a distant memory. First, we installed a smart sump pump in order to alleviate the constant groundwater issue. A high-quality reliable sump pump is critical for any effective crawl space waterproofing system. While dehumidifiers remove the excess moisture out of the air, you need a sump pump that does the heavy lifting and removing the bulk water that is sloshing around on the floor of your crawl space. These sump pumps are designed to handle high water volume, long run times, and resist clogging. They also have with a power backup, so they will continue to work even if you lose power. The pumps are housed in a durable plastic sump pump liner with an airtight cover so you don’t have to deal with an ugly open hole that can attract insects and rodents.
Next, we did a full CleanSpace install to encapsulate the crawl space. The CleanSpace vapor barrier is more than a regular liner. It’s an engineered film made of layers of high density and low density polyethylene. With its polyester cord reinforcement, the barrier is mechanically fastened to the walls., so when, on occasion, you or a repair person need to access your crawl space, this barrier will not pull off or tear should someone walk across it. These barriers are made with an antimicrobial additive and UV inhibitors and stabilizers, so they will not erode and break down prematurely. The barriers are available in various thickness mils. For this Toms River homeowner, we used 12-mil thick “pinkie” rolls on the walls and pillars. This CleanSpace install also included drainage matting, a sump pump discharge line with a protective ice guard, and a special Everlast vent cover that closes off outside air from entering the crawl space, but these covers still provide for easy access. They open with the twist of a few knobs.
Finally, we installed a Sanidri CX dehumidifier. These compact dehumidifiers are specifically designed for crawl spaces and mid-sized basements, and can operate in temperatures as low as 40 degrees F. They are much more powerful than traditional dehumidifiers, with a capacity to extract close to 14 gallons of water per day at 80 degrees F. These dehumidifiers do not require human intervention. They operate automatically, turning on and off according to a built-in hygrometer that measures indoor relative humidity. These machines don’t have a water tray; instead, they connect directly into the drainage system so they never need to be emptied.
We returned to finish the full crawl space makeover to install our Everlast Door to replace an open vent with a sealed door that can be opened when needed.
This Toms River homeowner was pleased with his new crawl space encapsulation and dehumidification system. Over time, untreated water problems will cause significant property damage. Crawl space encapsulation was the right decision for this homeowner to protect his home investment and improve the indoor air quality for his family.
