Photo Album: St. Joseph, MI Crawl Space Repaired

You know the saying "It takes a village to raise a child?" Well, sometimes it takes a village to sell a house. We're often called in during the inspection period of a real estate deal, and sometimes what we find can cause problems. Luckily, everyone involved in the purchase of this St. Joseph home was motivated for the deal to go through. They worked out a deal to get the crawl space encapsulated with CleanSpace and a SaniDry where everyone pitched in on the cost and no one felt cheated.

Efflorescence and Water Damage on Crawl Space Walls

The block walls in this crawl space show signs of efflorescence, which is a symptom of water evaporating in the area. Given the visible water damage and the ambient moisture in the crawl space, water issues are a definite problem. The crawl space was over 50% humidity when we visited.

Ineffective Insulation in Crawl Space

Fun fact: Fiberglass insulation is a terrible idea for basements and crawl spaces. This is because it's absorbent, and thus absorbs any ambient moisture in the air. Since basements and crawl spaces often have humidity issues, the insulation quickly sucks up all of the water and then becomes a waterlogged mess and eventually falls into a useless heap.

Waterlogged Crawl Space in St. Joseph

Between the debris on the floor and the sagging insulation, water has caused havoc in this crawl space.

Water Damage on Wooden Beams

The water has also started to affect the beams in the crawl space, although not to the degree that we sometimes see. Note the discoloration on the insulation. In damp environments, as the insulation absorbs ambient moisture it starts acting essentially like a coffee filter. So any dirt or debris in the air is caught by it, adding to the weight and causing it to eventually fall.

Humid Crawl Space in St. Joseph, MI

Dirty, waterlogged insulation, efflorescence on the walls, and water damaged wooden beams are all ingredients for a nightmare crawl space.

CleanSpace Installed Around Obstacles

CleanSpace can be installed taking existing fixtures into account, without losing its barrier properties. Here, the CleanSpace is installed with a hole cut out for the fuse box, and is also used to cover a support post.

SaniDry Helps with Crawl Space's Humidity Problem

While the CleanSpace will protect the structural integrity of the crawl space from ambient moisture, it's still beneficial to remove as much humidity as possible. That's where the SaniDry dehumidifier comes in.

CleanSpace Protects Crawl Space from Humidity

Say goodbye to the wet walls and waterlogged insulation. The CleanSpace system protects the crawl space - and the house above it - from ambient moisture.