Getting Rid of Water and Smells in a Portage Crawl Space

Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 by Morgan Kenney

Challenge

Greg had been getting water in his crawl space for a while, especially when there was heavy rain. Water was coming up through the concrete floor of the space and the sump pump he had installed was not working to keep the crawl space dry. The home was starting to get a musty smell that he was sure was coming from the crawl space. He called us to find some options for keeping the smells away and water out of his crawl space.

Our System Design Specialist, Terri, went out to the home to see the issue and go over the possible solutions with Greg. She found some mold growing inside the crawl space and knew the water was creating the perfect environment for the mold to continue growing. The smell was coming from the mold growth, so she knew to keep the mold from growing and to lock smells out of the home, the water needed to go.

Solution

We started by laying down Drainage Matting in the crawl space which separates the ground from the vapor barrier. The matting also has raised dimples in it to direct the flow of water, if any gets in, to the sump pump. We then installed a new sump pump since the old one was not doing its job. The TripleSafe Sump Pump has 3 levels of protection to keep water out permanently. The first pump is at the lowest level and the second one is higher up in case the primary pump fails but in case of a power outage or both pumps fail, there is a backup battery at the highest level!

To keep moisture, pests, and water vapor out of the crawl space, we installed CleanSpace Vapor Barrier. This is a thick white liner that is installed on the walls and floors. It also has a mold resistant additive to prevent the growth of mold or mildew. This helps keep the space dry, smells out, and protects your home's structure. Lastly, we installed the SaniDry Sedona which is a dehumidifier that is small in size, so it is perfect for a crawl space. It erases smells by drying out the air, has automatic draining so you do not need to constantly check it, and it filters the air for mold spores and other small particles like dust.

Now Greg can have peace of mind that his crawl space and home are safe from water intrusion as well as breathe happily since the home does not smell musty anymore!

There was not water in the crawl space at the time of inspection but you can see some signs of water intrusion in the ground and wall.

Drainage Matting is put down before the vapor barrier to provide some space between the ground and the liner. It also directs water to the sump pump to keep water out of the space.